Who Am I?

Identity is a topic we’ve been able to discuss with the teams we’ve been able to speak with this fall. This week’s video post also touched on this topic, but I wanted to take this week to look at identity in more detail. If we are all honest we’ve all struggled with defining our identity at some point. It’s layered, and often fluid in it’s definition. It is also foundational because our identity allows us to find our purpose and to fulfill it.

The easiest way I know to address identity is to begin with this. What is our answer to the question, Who am I? The illustration I’ve used is to think about our identity like a tree. As believers we often hear that our identity is in Christ. This is certainly true, but what does that look like in terms of our everyday life? Christ is our roots. What do the roots of a tree do? They anchor us, they provide us with the elements of life necessary to sustain us. Is this not what we pursue in our walk with Christ?

The trunk of the tree represents the important things in our life, the people and the relationships God has given us. This may look different for each of us, but here you find yourself as a mom or dad, husband or wife, son or daughter, brother or sister. The trunk of the tree makes up a large part of the visible portion of the tree. It provides a large amount of the support just like the relationships I mentioned above.

The last part of the tree are the branches. The branches are often the first things we notice, but are also the most temporary. This doesn’t make them unimportant, but I think it is important to realize their temporary nature. Our branches are the “other” things that contribute to our identity. Our careers, hobbies, and interests are all branches. Sadly, in addition to this good branches we often have bad branches. These may be those branches that have been damaged or grown from our mistakes, sins, or poor choices that have allowed them to grow. Some of these bad branches may be the result of other’s poor choices. The important thing to remember is we can, and must trim these bad branches. This is after all how we allow for new growth.

The challenge is, after we’ve filled in this analogy with the various aspects and roles within our life we still haven’t necessarily “defined” our identity. To do this, we need to examine where in the tree we begin. Sadly, most of us begin this definition with the branches, then the trunk, and often even stop short of the roots. The danger of this is the branches, good or bad are the most temporary. They are the parts of the tree most susceptible to the storms of life. Remember, it’s not if these storms will come it’s when. 1 Peter 4:12 (NIV) says “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering as though something strange were happening to you.” If our identity is so strongly tied to the branches, what happens with that branch is lost? Where do we go then? This is something I’ve personally struggled with, and with full transparency this ministry began through the loss of one of my branches. A branch I had strongly tied my identity to for a long time. Even as I type these words the loss of that branch is still difficult.

So how do we do better? Let’s start defining our identity from the roots. Allow Christ to be for us what he always intended to be. He is our anchor. It is through him that we survive the storm. Even when a branch is lost, or the trunk damaged, the roots still hold strong and continue to provide life. If we get this right we strengthen those relationships that make up the trunk, because now those are Christ-centered relationships. We haven’t tried to replace our relationship with Christ with a spouse, parent, friend, career, or hobby. Even the branches are healthier. Your work relationships are different because now Christ is flowing through those as well.

Who am I? It’s a simple question with a complex answer. No matter how you answer it, my challenge is to first make sure you have that root in Christ, and if you do, allow that support and life to flow from it and through all the other areas of your life.

God Bless!

Phil Johnson

Founder J23 Ministries