FLOURISH IN IDENTITY

by Liz Giertz

When I got out of the Army, exchanging my Active Duty ID card for a “dependent” card was hard. Being a soldier defined my existence for over two decades. 

When I took off the uniform, I had no idea who I was anymore. Even though already a mother and a wife, I struggled to find my new identity out of uniform. What we identify with can easily become an idol in our lives.

The world loves labels, telling us that what we do is who we are. Tragically, all the labels we wear, the cards we carry, the things we do, could all be gone tomorrow. 

Our eternal identity was determined by our Creator before we were even conceived.  

Who we think we are has power over what we do. In order to flourish in life, we need to understand our true identity. One of my favorite stories in the Bible highlights this concept.

David, anointed as the next King of Israel, was on the run from Saul, the current king. David and his men had been providing protection for a rich man’s property and asked to be allowed to participate in a feast. The rich man foolishly refused, and for lack of a better term, it was as if David forgot who God had said he was. 

David hastily planned an attack on the man’s property, his people, even his life, as revenge for this apparent slight. Thankfully the rich man’s wife, Abigail, gathered supplies and ran out to meet David and his men. She apologized for her husband’s poor behavior and proceeded to remind David of his own identity. David relented, God struck the rich man, and he died. Abigail became David’s wife. Remembering who he was had the power to change David’s behavior (1 Samuel 25).

What we believe about our identity impacts our actions as well.

How to Flourish in Identity:

1.    Remember who God says you are. 

2.    Work from your identity, not to form it. 

Instead of finding our identity in our vocation, we thrive when we live from our God-given identity. Military women, in or out of uniform, flourish by faith when they find their identity in Christ.

Ponder:

Make a list of words that describe who you are in Christ today. Use the Verses to Consider to get you started.

Verses to Consider:

1 Corinthians 6:17

1 Peter 2:9 

Galatians 2:20