Mistaken Identity - Part 3

Why is it that I have such a great need to be valued? Why is it that I strive to find worth from something; from anything? I have this insatiable urge to be loved and treasured, but where did that come from? My theory is, we were created to be valued.

Why was man created? There are a couple good answers to that question, but one of those answers is that the Lord wanted to. He just wanted to. He had a desire to show all his goodness and glory to a specific being, thus man was created. We were created because he wanted us and therefore we were designed to be the compliment of that; to be wanted.

So how does God fulfill that desire in us to be valued and wanted? Before the foundations of the world, God knew what he was doing. He thought up the timeline of the universe and how all of the events on this earth would take place. He was not taken by surprise when Adam sinned and humanity fell. Before time began, he had designed a salvation plan in order that we might see the greatness and glory of our Lord and know the the fullness of his love for us. And the climax of God's timeline was the crucification and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And that is precisely where we find complete fulfillment for our need to be valued. At the cross, I find all the value I could ever hope for.

Romans 5:8 - "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

What a great God we have! I was in a state where I was unlovable, where I had no value at all due to my sin. I had rejected the Lord completely and he would have had every right to tell me "I'm done with you." And yet, in that state when I had done nothing to be worthwhile or valuable, Christ died and showed me that I was valuable to him. Because I'm only worth what someone will pay for me. And Christ showed that I was worth his blood, not because of what I had done but simply because he valued me that much.

So my identity is found in Christ. And when I forget that all I need to do is return to the cross where I can see where my true value lies. Without Christ, I have no value at all. But in him, my created need for value and worth is completely fulfilled and satisfied.

Mistaken Identity - Part 2

In my last blog post I wrote about how I have recently discovered a case of mistaken identity in my life; I have been finding my identity in places where I should be finding it. You can read about it here.

When I wrote my last post, my husband asked me what "identity" meant and why it was a bad thing to find my identity in what I was finding it in. As I thought about what "identity" meant, this is the definition I came up with: Identity is that which defines my value or worth. My identity is who I am. I would say that it's something more than just what describes me (i.e. I'm a wife, a daughter, a sister, an administrator, a friend, etc.). It's what defines the core of my being. It's the answer to the philosophical question "who am I?".

Now some people do answer that question with what describes them. Some people's identity is in their job and they pour their life into it because that's where they find value. Some people find their identity in being a wife or a mom and that's where they find their value. As I wrote in my last post, I was finding my identity in what did and how busy I was. Since I was a busy person, I was important and valuable.

Why is this sin? When I define my value by something other than what God says, I have essentially put myself or something else higher than God in my life. Example: If I find my identity in my job and how much I accomplish at work, I'm demonstrating that my job is more valuable to me than the Lord; that I value what my job offers me more than what God offers me. You see, there is a correlation between what we value and what gives us value. We value the things that give us value. If I have two co-workers and one of them sends me an email about how great of a job I am doing and one of them sends me an email telling me that I suck at this job and should quit, I immediately like the first person better than I like the second person. Why? Because they gave me value. Therefore, I value them more than I value the other person who told me that I was not valuable at all.

So when I find my identity in something other than God, I'm telling God that the value he gives me isn't good enough and so I will find my value elsewhere. And because the value he gives me isn't good enough, he himself isn't good enough because he isn't giving me what I need. And so, I elevate something or someone else above God because I think it will give me the value I need. The problem is that when that someone or something goes away, I get dropped like a rock, leaving me feeling very worthless. Because nothing except the Lord can fully and completely satisfy my need for value and worth.

How does God do that and what is my value in God's eyes? Stay tuned for part 3.