Who are you behind your name? What do people learn about you shortly after an introduction?

If we attend a certain college, school, church or follow a certain sports club or organization its easy to build our identity on being a follower or member of one of the above. We use phrases like “ I’m a Man United supporter”, a “ XYZ School boy”, a “Harvard alumni” or whatever place or organization’s banner we place our name under. What we like and admire is not who we are!

None of this is wrong in any way and it unites us with like minded people who share the same passions or values.

When we make this entirely who we are though, it strips us of our individual identities that should not be based on what we like or admire but on what God put in us from the moment of conception. Jeremiah 1:5 says “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

God already decided before we showed up who and what we were to be. We however like to decide for ourselves what we are, what we will become and even who we feel like being depending on the day and the mood.

In Isaiah 64:8 we see that God moulded us according to His plan-“You, Lord, are our Father. We are nothing but clay, but you are the potter who moulded us.”

To be loyal to a place, team or group is nice and makes us feel a part of something. But it’s not who we are. A culture is not a personal identity. It’s rather something we resonate with or strive to be recognised as.

Being a part of a big church is something I’ve enjoyed for almost 21 years now. We are members of a big family that we gather with each Sunday. When one rejoices, we all rejoice. When one mourns, we all mourn. We belong to a large, imperfect but beautiful family of God followers.

If I went to church as a member but didn’t know God, it would be a pointless event. I go because of Him and because I first met Him and then joined this body of believers. If you go to a place of worship simply because of the people there I’m afraid you’ve missed the point. The object of worship is a daily one-on-one connection and not a once-a- week group meeting!

My identity is first one who follows Christ and then a member of my church -not the other way around! Church is one day in 7, relationship is 7 days out of 7.

A football team is not your identity. Neither is your place of education, worship, qualifications or even your nationality. So again I ask “Who are you?” Take time to find out what lies beneath the many coats you wear. Look for the hidden treasures inside your heart. Find what it is that makes you a unique individual.

When your identity is based on who you were created to be, it won’t matter when your favourite team loses a game because it won’t make you a loser. When you don’t get a job you hoped for based on the impressive names on your CV, you won’t be a failure and when you miss a week of church, it won’t make you a heathen!

You are a magnificent creation, created with good things in mind, great gifts and talents that cannot be stripped from you and do not depend on any outside influence! You-beautiful and unique YOU-were created to change your corner of the world with only the banner of “GODS SPECIAL ONE” over your head!