Mistaken Identity - Part 4

This is a surprise part 4 to the Mistaken Identity series. As I was thinking about my own life application and thought process through these blogs I decided that there needed to be another part to it.

What is the result of finding your identity in Christ and what is the result when you do not?

Let's take a look at the ladder first. As we've already established, finding my identity and worth in something other than Christ is a sin. But there is another repercussion to this too. If I am finding my value in something other than Christ then it becomes impossible to truly love others. I know this is a bold statement (figuratively and literally), but let me try and explain.

If I find my identity in my car, it means I'm gaining value from that car. But really what it means is that I am gaining some value or worth in other people's eyes because of my car. Now that could either be because my car is totally awesome and therefore people think I am totally awesome, or it could be because my car is a complete wreck and I therefore look more godly than the person with the really cool car. Either way, I'm gaining value from what other people think about me and therefore I cannot genuinely love them. Why? 1 Corinthians 13 says that love "is not self-seeking". As soon as I care more about what I can gain from someone rather than what I can give to someone, I have stopped loving them according to the 1 Corinthians 13 definition. Love does not take from others, it gives. Now it can sure look like I'm loving someone, but the true test is when that person no longer gives me what I am desiring from them. How do I treat them when they no longer think I am the coolest?

So what is the result when I find my value and worth in Christ? It frees me up to truly love others. If I find all my worth in the Lord, then I don't need to worry about whether or not other people think I am great. I don't need to take from them because my value has already been defined by Christ's death on the cross. I can instead give and give and give. That's what true love is. It gives without expecting anything in return. As soon as I expect to take from someone that's when I have ceased loving them.

Like I said at the beginning of my first blog post, this is something that the Lord continually reveals to my heart. I so often find my identity in things other than Christ. And finding my identity in what I did and how busy my schedule was has been a big thing for me to process through. But I am so thankful that the Lord opened my eyes to see where he wasn't first in my life. I pray that he will do the same for you.