Identity

My understanding of identity has changed over time, but one truth has become increasingly clear: my identity is not something I create, achieve, or defend – it is something I receive in Christ. Identity in Christ is not rooted in performance, confidence, or spiritual success, but in surrender to Jesus as Lord.

Scripture tells us that we are adopted as children of God (Romans 8:15–17). This truth confronts the tendency to measure worth by productivity, approval, or visibility. As a child of God, my value is established before I do anything for Him. This realization has been both freeing and challenging, especially in spaces of leadership, where identity can quietly shift from sonship to performance.

My entire identity centers on the gospel, belief that Jesus lived the life I could not live, died for my sin, and rose again for the purpose of being restored to God and adopted into His family. This truth rewires my identity to an ultimate, fundamental level. I am not my stability, nor is my spiritual maturity, nor am I my visible fruit; my identity is based on Christ’s completed work. Because of the gospel, I no longer relate to God as a servant desperate to win the approval of a king but as a child learning to trust a Father who already delights in me. This reality challenges the sneaky ways in which I can fall into self-salvation thinking that if I just pray more, lead better, or struggle less, God will make me sufficient at last. Jesus’s doing what I could never do thus stops that lie by the gospel. My identity in Christ is that I am totally known and fully loved because of Him. So submission is not a desire, but of a response to grace, not of an intent to establish it. By such a truth at the heart of it and its becoming reality, identity stabilizes and doesn’t falter when the world moves on or the individual reveals his or her own weakness.

My struggles, doubts, and weaknesses are not obstacles to my identity in Christ; they are often the places where His grace becomes most evident. As Paul writes, God’s power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Identity in Christ, then, is not the absence of weakness, but the presence of grace within it.

Learning about surrender has played a significant role in reshaping how I understand identity. Surrender is not passive resignation; it is the intentional yielding of control. When I submit my ambitions, fears, and self-definitions to Christ, I discover that identity is restored, not lost. Surrender reestablishes God as the rightful authority over every area of life, freeing me from striving for validation or manufacturing purpose.

The biblical story consistently affirm this truth. In Genesis, God’s promises move forward not because of human perfection, but because of His faithfulness. Abraham trusted God when fulfillment seemed impossible. Joseph remained faithful through hidden seasons of suffering before stepping into leadership. In Exodus, God delivers Israel from slavery before giving them the law, showing that obedience flows from relationship, not the other way around. Identity is established through God’s saving action, and obedience becomes a response of trust.

This understanding of identity has influenced my approach to leadership and discipleship. Leadership is no longer about self-confidence or having all the answers, but about obedience, humility, and dependence on God. I see myself as both a disciple and a disciple-maker, continually being formed by Christ while walking alongside others in their faith journey. My identity in Christ allows me to lead from a place of surrender rather than self-reliance.

Community also plays a vital role in identity formation. Faith is not shaped in isolation but through shared rhythms of worship, teaching, accountability, and prayer. Regular engagement with Scripture, communal teaching, and discipleship conversations helps anchor my identity in truth rather than emotion or circumstance.

Ultimately, identity in Christ is not something I revisit only in moments of crisis; it is a daily posture. Through surrender, Scripture, and community, I am reminded that I belong to God, that He defines me, and that my life is most fruitful when yielded fully to Him.