Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Identity

If someone had asked me to define my identity six months ago, I could have easily done so:  wife, mom, worshiper...with a few other secondary labels sprinkled in.  I knew the path that lay before me and I was very happy to stay on it.  While it took most of my twenties to discover this, I knew who I was, and who I was not.

What I’ve learned in this last six months is that God always has more for us than we will ever know.  It’s unwise to base our future on our past experiences.  The past shapes who we are in the present, but doesn’t determine our future.  So much in fact, that many stories in the Bible depict God changing the names of His followers;  Abram to Abraham, Saul to Paul, Simon to Peter, etc. He realized that their identities were wrapped up in their names and this would change the way they saw themselves.  Case and point, imagine you have a different name...It changes the way you think of yourself, doesn’t it?

Jeremiah 18:6 says “...As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand.”  I want to continue to be molded by my Maker – to not just see my identity through my own abilities and experiences, but to see myself the way He sees me.   I will not always hold the positions I do now, but I always want my heart’s cry to be, “Here I am – send me, use me, change me, mold me!”