How Do We Identify Ourselves?

If someone introduces themselves to you, one of the first things they will probably tell you is what they do for a living. We live in a society that has made what we do a defining characteristic of who we are.

The danger in basing our identities on what we do though is that it is exhausting! Building a list of accomplishments becomes one of the primary uses of our time. The form these accomplishments take will vary, but I’ve found almost everyone I’ve worked with can fall into this way of thinking at times.

Some people may feel a deep sense of dissatisfaction if they do not finish their to-do list each day, deciding if it was a good day or not by how much they got done. For others, the temptation is to base their own progress by how they compare with their coworkers.

Sometimes it can even take the form of basing our sense of self worth on the accomplishments of our children.

Today’s Gospel shows us though that Christ offers us a different model. Before Christ began to go out and do anything in his ministry, he went and was baptized. At this baptism, we hear God proclaim His identity- Jesus is a “beloved son.” Christ’s whole mission and identity flows from this statement.

What he goes on to do in his ministry on earth is important, but not as important as the fact that he is the only beloved son of the Father.

In fact, it is because Jesus lived from his divine identity that he was able to be so effective in what he did!

The lesson for us in this is that we need to learn to base our identity on who God says we are not on what we do or accomplish each day. When we can do that, we will find that we have new strength to accomplish whatever God sets before us.

Consider taking some time this week to reflect on your current sense of identity and to ask God to help you become more rooted not in what you do, but in who you are; a beloved child of God.