This January I decided to take a look at our financial investments and savings accounts and retirement funds to make sure that everything was accounted for. In the process I found a retirement fund of about $125 that Christine got when she did some substitute teaching in Dallas during our first year of marriage. She was an awesome sub...the kids hated her and the teachers loved her, because she followed their instructions to the "T".
Since the dollar amount was so low, I decided to just cash it in and have them cut us a check. But as I looked more closely at the account it looks like it could almost belong to an entirely different person. I requested that the check be cut to Mrs. Christine Burkle. But the account is registered for Mr. Lelia Griffin. That's right Mr. They have her god-give first name (Lelia) and her maiden name (Griffin) and somehow have her as a male. And even though we might never see that $125, it makes me realize how important our identity is.
It is important to know who we are...and who we aren't. Many people struggle their whole life with a variety of identity issues. Some people long for others identity or want to switch their own. We each have an innate desire to center ourselves comfortably around an identity. Maybe that is why in the Bible God regularly encourages his children to know who they are and whose they are. To remember who remembers them and whose eye is watching over them. Redemption is a new identity, rooted "in Him"... in Jesus. Jesus' offer of freedom from sin and guilt and death is a promise of new life which he lives through us (Gal 2:20), if we will open our heart to it.
Don't let the world tell you who you are (especially the Highland Park ISD), tell the world who you are through Christ.
2 comments:
Wow--no coincidences...just finished a post about identity. You are so right about which identity really matters...the one in Christ.
I like Rindy's post on identity and the cool band ref, check it out at http://rindy.wordpress.com/
Post a Comment