Last Updated on May 8, 2024
Have you ever wondered how to know your identity Christ? Are you struggling to figure out who you are as a wife, mom, daughter, and friend? You may have heard that your identity should be in Christ, but what does that really mean? In this post, we’ll dive into the importance of identifying yourself in Christ and tying your true identity to who you are as a follower of Jesus.
Is there anyone else who went through a major identity crisis in high school? And then maybe again in college? And then maybe even again as you figured out how to hold onto your identity after motherhood? No? Just me?
I remember in high school specifically wanting so desperately to be popular, wanting to be perceived as cool as I could possibly be. As a teenager, it felt so easy to place my sense of identity in who my boyfriend was and what parties I did (or didn’t) get invited to. But no matter what I had going for me, it never quite felt like enough. Can you relate?
The good news is that even in the midst of my naive attempts to feel important and loved, God didn’t give up on me. And gently through scripture, church and some hard lessons, I began to realize that God’s love and the power of the Holy Spirit were the only stable things that I could anchor my life in.
If you’ve ever struggled with feeling like you belong or if you’ve wrestled with your own identity and figuring out God’s plan for your life, I highly recommend studying and leaning what it means to put your identity fully in Christ.
What does it mean to put your identity in Christ?
Putting your identity in Christ means recognizing and embracing your full identity as a follower of Jesus.
It means understanding that your worth and value come from being a child of God, rather than from external factors like your achievements, the expectations of other people, and the things you accumulate or possess. (Matthew 16:26)
When you put your identity in Christ, you acknowledge that your true purpose and fulfillment can only be found in Him, and that fullness of life is available to you because He gave you new life. (Romans 6:4) This means you are no longer chained to your old self, the past, sin, and mistakes that have weighed you down.
Putting on the image of God means that you seek to align your thoughts, actions, and values with God’s Word and Christ’s example. This includes living out qualities such as love, compassion, forgiveness, and humility – all of which we saw the Lord Jesus Christ model for us through His life on earth. (Colossians 3:12-14)
Anchoring your identity in Christ also involves surrendering control of your life to Him. It means trusting your Heavenly Father and His plan for you, seeking God’s guidance in all aspects of your life. This can bring a deep sense of peace and security knowing that you are not alone but are held by the loving hands of God.
Putting your identity in Christ isn’t a just one and done deal. It’s a lifelong journey of growing closer to God, discovering who He created you to be, and living out His purposes for your life.
How to build your identity in Christ
If you’ve wrestled with your personal identity and want to live a live that brings glory to God, it’s never too late to recommit your life to HIm.
Building your identity in Christ is a journey filled with self-discovery, faith, and growth. It’s about studying God’s Word to learn who you are as a child of God and living out your purpose in alignment with His teachings. Here are a few key ways to build your identity in Christ.
- Focus on strengthening your relationship with God. Just like a friendship, our relationship with God has to be nurtured regularly. We can’t just go to church on Sunday and expect to clearly hear His voice and just breeze through hard times. It’s important to spend quality time with God in your everyday life. Start by deepening your relationship with Him through prayer, studying the Bible, and seeking out guidance and community with fellow believers. Embrace the love and grace that He offers, knowing that you are forgiven and accepted just as you are.
- Reset your priorities. What are the areas of your life that you need to welcome God into? Maybe every morning you find yourself on social media, trying to gain the approval of others. Maybe your whole identity has been anchored in your career and constantly striving for financial success. Or maybe you have bad habits that you’ve decided to just call personality traits, but God has asked you to let go of them. This is a great time to ask God to reset your priorities, to show you what is most important to Him, and to let go of holding external things so tightly that take your time and attention away from how He wants to work in your life.
- Look for ways to use your gifts to bring God glory. Another important aspect of placing your identity in Christ is understanding your unique gifts and talents. God has equipped each of us with abilities and spiritual gifts that can be used to serve others and bring glory to Him. Take time to discover what those gifts are and find ways to use them for God’s Kingdom. Not sure what you’re good at or how God could use? Surround yourself with a supportive Christian community who can encourage and challenge you on this journey. Engage in meaningful conversations, attend church services or small groups where you can grow together in faith.
Remember that building your identity in Christ is a lifelong process. It requires patience, perseverance, and a willingness to surrender to His will. As you continue to seek Him on a daily basis, He will shape you into the person He created you to be – one who reflects His love, compassion, and grace.
Why being rooted in Christ influences your thoughts and actions
Being rooted in Christ will ultimately have a big impact on the way we live, think and act. When our faith is firmly grounded in Him, it shapes everything else we do in life in meaningful ways.
One of the key keywords here is “rooted.” Just like a tree draws its strength and nourishment from its roots, being rooted in Christ means finding our foundation and sustenance in Him. This deep connection with Christ affects the way we perceive ourselves, others, and the world around us.
But be aware – just because you want to live your life for Christ, doesn’t mean you won’t still be faced with the lies of the enemy. Especially in a difficult time, Satan is really good at digging into your doubts, twisting what God has said about you and making you question your core identity. Remember that he is a deceiver and the doubts he places in your mind are not truth! (John 8:44)
Lastly, being rooted in Christ will influence the rest of your life because when we allow Christ to guide our thoughts and actions, His teachings become the lens through which we view everything else. Our decisions are no longer driven solely by personal desires or societal pressures but are instead guided by principles of love, compassion, forgiveness, and justice.
By being rooted in Christ, we start to reflect His character more fully. Our thoughts become more aligned with His truth, leading us to make choices that honor Him and benefit others. Our actions become an expression of His love working through us.
Having a complete trust in Christ transforms not only our thoughts but also our actions. It empowers us to live out our faith authentically and make a positive difference in the world around us.
Know your identity in Christ Bible verses
These verses emphasize the transformative nature of a relationship with Christ and highlight the new identity and purpose that believers find in Him.
Ephesians 2:10 (NIV): “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Galatians 2:20 (ESV): “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV): “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
Romans 8:37 (NIV): “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
1 Peter 2:9 (NIV): “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
Colossians 3:3 (NIV): “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”
John 1:12 (NIV): “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
1 Corinthians 6:17 (ESV): “But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.”
Romans 12:2 (NIV): “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Philippians 4:13 (NIV): “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
Ephesians 2:19-22 (NIV): “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV): “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
At the end of the day, having a personal relationship with God, the Creator of the Universe means deciding to root your identity in Him. It’s a natural tendency for us all to want to cling to our individual identity, and there’s nothing wrong with celebrating who God made us to be!
But when we decide to fully embrace who we are in Christ, it empowers us to navigate life’s challenges with confidence, grace, and purpose. Let’s walk forward together, secure in the knowledge of our identity in Christ, knowing that God’s grace and his great love for us matter more than anything else the world can throw at us.
