Today’s Reading:
Matthew 7: 24-27
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it” (ESV)
I became a Christian at a very young age, I grew up in a Christian household, I went to vacation bible school, youth retreats, and even a Christian college. I have heard this passage many times in my life, even in song format. However, up until a few years ago, I never really allowed a core message of this passage influence the way I live out my everyday life: place your identity in Christ and let the truth of your redemption be the foundation that informs your decisions.
What I did instead was allow my identity to be governed by external things that are fleeting and change with the circumstances of life. Among my friend groups growing up, I was always the “smart one.” I soon came to not only embrace that label, but let it define me. This pattern can be seen most clearly when I look at my college years. I remember many weekends where I would prioritize studying or classwork over going to church. I let the fear of not performing well academically keep me from the best that God had to offer me. My error here did not end when I walked across the stage at graduation; it transitioned easily to the “real world.” Simply replace classrooms for office buildings and grades with performance reviews.
Eventually, I realized this pattern I had allowed myself to fall into. The amazing part is that the fix is simple, because God does the heavy lifting. All I had to do was come to Him with a repentant heart in earnest prayer. When we do this, we are simply allowing space for the Holy Spirit to work in our lives.
I am still not perfect in this area, but I have seen a real tangible change in my life since I started actively trying to apply this principal. When I inevitably make a mistake a work, because I am human, it does not rock my world or ruin my whole day. Don’t get me wrong, I still try to do my best at whatever I work at, but I am now free from the burden of thinking I have to perform perfectly because I know that at the end of the day what really matters is embracing my spiritual identity and gifts and using them to help bring the kingdom of God here on earth.
Prayer
Lord, help me to remember that my identity is not based in the fleeting things of this world; to remember that my identity is only truly fulfilled when I am working for your glory.