Do you know who you are?

As believers, we often struggle with understanding who we truly are in Christ. It's easy to define ourselves based on what the world tells us—our achievements, mistakes, relationships, or material possessions. However, the Bible points us to a different foundation. Colossians 3 reminds us to set our hearts on things above, not on earthly distractions. The truth is, if we anchor our identity in anything other than Christ, we will find ourselves constantly battling storms we aren't equipped to handle. But when our identity is grounded in Christ, everything changes.

Colossians 3:1-3 says:
"Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God."

Tim Keller once said, “The Bible says that our real problem is that every one of us is building our identity on something besides Jesus.” This resonates deeply. We may not even realize it, but many of us build our lives on shaky foundations—whether it's success, relationships, or possessions. In Matthew 7, Jesus paints a clear picture of this. He describes two houses: one built on solid rock and the other on shifting sand. The storm will come regardless, but only the house built on the rock stands firm.

Matthew 7:24-27 says:
"Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash."

So, what happens when we build our identity on the wrong things? Our house collapses. If your identity is built on success, the minute failure strikes, your confidence crumbles. If it's built on relationships, a broken friendship or betrayal can leave you devastated. However, when you build your identity in Christ, the storms may rage, but your foundation remains unshaken.

Here’s the truth: God sees you differently than the world does. While the world may label you by your past mistakes or your current status, God calls you His beloved child. You are forgiven, you are loved, and you are chosen. Just like a parent’s love for their child isn’t based on performance, God's love for you is unconditional. He has paid the ultimate price for you, not with gold or silver, but with the precious blood of Jesus.

1 Peter 1:18-19 says:
"For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God."

The reality is that many believers live as homeless orphans, lost in a world of confusion trying to satisfy the deep internal ache of being chosen, loved, and wanted. Sometimes the pain of thinking about God's deep, abiding, and never-changing love is too much for us to bear. We think "How could this God who lives in the perfect, most holy of heavenly places, want to be in my presence, let alone celebrate a relationship with me?"  That’s the reality for many believers who don’t grasp their true identity in Christ. 

I'll let these Scriptures speak for themselves. 

Ephesians 1:4-5 (NIV):
"For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love, he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will."

God didn't provide a way of salvation out of begrudging obligation, he did it out of an overflow of his deep, joy-filled pleasure and will! There is no love greater than this!

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (NIV):
"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation."

You have access to a spiritual inheritance far greater than any earthly treasure, but if you don’t understand this, it’s like having billions in the bank and living off crackers.

So, what should your identity be built on? The unshakable truth that you are a new creation in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says:
"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"

You are fully known and fully loved by the Creator of the universe. When you understand this, you no longer need to chase after the approval of others or fear the storms that come your way.

Psalm 139:1-6 says:
"O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!"

Remember, you are not what you’ve done, what you have, or who you know. You are defined by who God says you are—His child, forgiven, loved, and cherished. Build your life on this truth, and no storm can knock you down.