IDENTITY and Why It Matters? In Winters Ear Edition

Identity (Why does this matter?)

 

We have embarked on a serious journey that will challenge anyone who comes in contact with this devotional. We have been discussing identity, who we are, who are called to be, and why these things are important. This particular devotional will focus on the later, “why these things are important”.

Identity Theft and Identity Fraud are two crimes that are very common now in our society. Shakespeare wrote in Othelo “But he that fliches from me my good name/Robs me of that which not enriches him/And makes me poor indeed”. Even Shakespeare was well aware of identity theft. The US Department of Justice informs us that Identity Theft and Fraud, deals with wrongfully obtaining someone’s personal data, and using that data in a way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain.

For the sake of our conversation let’s just say that we focused on the fraud and deception, of being someone that you are not. I am convinced that we all at one point and time have seen someone that we admired, seen a life that we wanted, seen the most popular kid in our school, the person who seems to have it all, and in our mind have said, I WANT THAT. Some of us have even studies that persons actions, mannerisms, the way they dress and talk, and in an effort to duplicate that, have tried to become just like that person. When we take on the mind, actions, mannerisms, likeness of someone else, we have taken an identity that is not ours. In fact we have done ourselves a disservice as well as robbed ourselves of the best identity to put on, which is the one of Jesus Christ. Philippians 2:5, let this mind be in you that was also in Christ.

When we couple this text with Gen 1:26 “Then God said, Let us make mankind in our image, after our likeness…” We see that one, we are made in Gods image and likeness, so we are called to put on the the mind of Christ.