Your Identity Matters
After months staring at the 700-page volume sitting on my book shelf, I have begun the task of reading Barack Obama’s presidential memoirs, ‘Promised Land.’
The blurb inside the book cover is a tempting invitation to join the journey of a ‘young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world.’ Now, not many of us will reach the dizzy heights of the President of the United States. Yet, take a close look behind the Barack Obama celebrity, and we discover a human being seeking to understand his purpose, his way in life; a search that begins with family, parents, and the place where earliest thoughts and memories were formed.
Mr Obama’s journey may have brought him to the White House. But, I could not help drawing parallels with our own sense of identity, our personal journeys in the challenging media space.
As a mere male, I am told that men like to place their identity in fixing things, while women invest in relationships. Now, that might be an over-simplification, but it speaks of establishing our identities on what we do, defining ourselves on our pursuits. There is nothing wrong in setting goals and achieving great things, but it does limit who we are and how we live out our lives. If you are a Christian working in, and with, media, you need to know your identity encompasses all the abundance of being a beloved child of God.
What you are doing in your chosen media workplace contributes towards God’s purposes, towards human flourishing. Your work matters because you matter to God. No matter how frustrating: how challenging.
Don’t take my word for it. The Bible repeatedly tells us who we are in Christ You are complete in Him, who is the head over all rule and authority. You are alive with Christ. You are a joint heir with Christ. You are more than a conqueror through Him who loves you. You can do whatever you need to do in life through Jesus Christ, who gives you strength.
It is so comforting, and liberating, to know that we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ to do good works that He has prepared for you and me to do: to know that you are part of a family of God that wants you to flourish in your faith and be great influencers for the Kingdom.
Barack Obama may have achieved high office, but he is still a child of God created in the image of our amazing Creator – just like you and me. So, when you are tasked with something mundane, or facing challenges at work that seem frustrating, remember you have a purpose: one that is part of your identity in Christ.
Now, that fills me with so much gratitude and joy.
