What is Your Secret Identity?

When I was growing up I loved comic books. Especially Super Hero comic books. My favorites were Batman and Superman. One of the coolest things about them was the fact they had secret identities. Clark Kent wasn't really a mild mannered reporter, he was Superman. Bruce Wayne wasn't just a millionaire playboy, he was Batman. One thing that happened with both of them, was sometimes living with split identities generated a great many problems for them. It affected there personal lives greatly. I can relate to the idea of split identities quite well. It is one of the most important things God has taught me over the last six years.

I came to know Christ when I was 14 years old. It was a radical conversion. I fell in love with a living and active God through Jesus Christ. It changed me completely. In those early days I completely found my identity in Christ. It wasn't in my church, my friends, my activities or what I did for God. It was solely in Jesus Christ. I even got the nickname at my High School as "Jesus Boy" or "Bible Boy". Slowly that began to erode though. It started when I made the Varsity football team. I was a two year starter. My identity began to be connected with being a "jock". Jesus began to take a back seat. When I was 19 I re-ajusted things and began to find my identity solely in Jesus again. I felt this compelling call to live my life completely for Him. In those day when you felt that call you went to Bible College. I remember in Bible College that my identity was only in Christ. But something began to change. We were asked questions like, "what has God called you too?". Are you an evangelist, pastor, missionary, what are you? I remember struggling with those questions. I didn't know what I was. I was just a Christ follower who had a passion to spill my life for Jesus. But I thought, well I need to figure out who I am.

After Bible College I went on staff at a great church in Orlando, Florida. Now I knew what I was. I was a Youth Pastor. When I accepted a position at my first church, I was now a Senior Pastor. When I started Life Church, I was a church planter. Somewhere along my journey my true identity got lost. I wasn't simply a Christ follower, I was a Pastor.

You don't have to be a professional minister to lose your real identity. How do you see yourself? Are you a wife, husband, mother, father? Are you a teacher, businessman or something else? Do you identify yourself by your sexuality? You may say to yourself, I am a Christian. What does it mean to be a Christian in our American culture? There are a lot of preconceived ideas that go with that word.

As for me, I simply want to be a Christ follower. Everything else is sand beneath my feet. If I put my identity in anything but Christ it can be shaken. My kids can shake my identity as a Father. My wife can shake my identity as a husband. The economy can shake my identity as a businessman. A church or denomination or my own failure can shake my identity as a minister. Political climate, fallen preachers and disillusionment can shake my identity as an American Christian. Corrupt politicians and stalemated legislators can shake my identity as an American. But nothing can shake my identity as a Christ follower. In my failure, He is there. If I lose my job, He is there. If my kids make bad choices, He is there. If my church or religion fails me, He is there. If my wife leaves me, He is there. If the economy collapses, He is there. He is that friend that sticks closer than a brother. Nothing can separate us from His love. Never ever identify yourself with anything but Christ. Christ alone is the solid rock on which we stand.