Identiy Theft

There are hundreds possibly thousands of products and companies who are invested in protecting your identity. Whether it is on the computer, through your credit card, or through monitoring of you or credit account. It is a big deal when someone steals your identity. While all this is a huge threat in our world often we ignore the greatest threat of identity theft. Satan, the enemy of God, is out to steal our identity as children of God. To help us feel like we have no worth and are not able to accomplish anything of value.

That is not how we have been created. We have been uniquely designed and created by God to have the identity that God has given us. Each of us has our own identity, and it is not like another persons. We all have strengths and weakness. If we are not careful we begin to believe the lie that our weakness limits our ability to be a child of God. We are directly and indirectly told to forget about the strengths God has given us, and focus on eliminating the areas of weakness. Plain and simple there is a value placed on being good at all things, this is not a value of God. God enjoys, created and celebrates diversity.

When was the last time your identity was being stolen?
In many was this is a constant battle for me. As a pastor there are many people who have ideas about what I should say and do. I have begun to get pretty clear about the way in which God has knit me together, and that does not always fit the classic understanding of pastor, especially in the United Methodist tradition. As I grow tired and weak, I hear the voices calling me to change my way of ministry, or to quit, and I think those voices are right. Those are the times when my identity is being stolen. God is no thief.

For me everyday is an exercise in letting God lead me. Everyday I am learning to trust who God made me to be. Not everyone will like it, and people will tell me I need to be different. But I think if I deny who God has made me to be I will dishonoring my creator. Not a good place to be.