Our identity is secure in Christ

"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him." 1 John 3:1 NIV

In late March when 66-year-old Craig Davidson felt ill, he decided to run through it so as not to break the 15,130 day running streak he began on November 5, 1978. But when he collapsed at his home on April 8, that all ended. He was rushed to the emergency room where he was diagnosed with a bacterial infection that required a four day stay in the hospital while only medical personnel were allowed in due to the COVID restrictions. Davidson admitted that the abrupt way the streak ended was a bit of an identity crisis for him. "The first couple of days in the hospital I was just an emotional wreck every time I would think about running for 41 years every day then all of a sudden I can't. It was tough to deal with. I'm glad I was alone in the hospital to deal with it for a few days. It gives me a great appreciation for life."

And you know, it's not much of a surprise that Craig would struggle with not being able to run. I mean he's a runner right? That's who he is. That's who many of us would say we are. Right? But guess what? If you and I are Christians, we should understand that running is something we do, not the thing that defines us. You see, as this story shows, life can change in an instant and those things that we put our identity in like our jobs, our hobbies, our abilities, and even our marital status, can be stripped away leaving us to wonder who we really are. Thankfully though, the Bible is clear that our identity is in Christ. That means we will always be "children of God!... that is what we are!" And nothing can ever change that. I don't know about you my friend, but that makes me smile.

So I urge you to ask yourself this, "What or who would I say I am today?".  If that answer is anything other than, "I am a child of God," I pray that you would experience the "great love” of the Father so that you would come to know that being a son or daughter of the King is the only definition of ourselves that will last throughout a lifetime.  

Heavenly Father, thank You for the timely reminder that our identity is in You. With so many people turning to running and other things to deal with the stress and anxiety of the Coronavirus right now, I pray that we would understand that none of these things define us and will one day end. Help us to understand that our true and unchanging identity is in You. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.

Happy Running!!!

Identity - Kutless