Wow! You Clearly Have An Identity Issue!

Identity is who you are on the inside – your foundation or sense of self. When your foundation is shaky there are clear signs!

Your identity is valuable. Anything valuable is worth stealing.

Over the past couple of months, a mysterious someone, several somebodies, or something, has made multiple charges on our business accounts. It’s been quite disconcerting. The first surprise charge showed up after using a brand-new debit card at our bank’s ATM!

There have been multiple other incidents, but I will spare you all the gory details! Suffice it to say, we clearly had identity issues!

Perhaps you have experienced similar identity issues. If so, you know what a headache it is to remedy such issues and how time consuming the process is!

The Real Identity Issue

No doubt you’ve gone to great lengths to prevent identity theft. You carefully chose strong passwords, regularly check your bank and credit card statements for random charges, shred everything from junk mail to old statements. You are on high alert for phishing and spoofing!

We were too! And yet we still encountered identity issues!

The truth is that identity thieves are sly and incredibly cunning! Their whole goal is to take, take, and take some more!

What you may not be on the lookout for is an even bigger identity issue! Beware! There is an enemy out there who is out to steal your identity, casting doubt on who God says you are and robbing you of all that is you at the core!

Your Identity In Christ

As a child of God; a believer, your identity is found in Him.

Jesus was very clear. His purpose in coming and laying down His life for you was so that you might enjoy a rich and satisfying life, or as some translate John 10:10, a full or abundant life. We do that by being in relationship with in Him, the vine (John 15:5); the source of love (I John 4:8). In Him we are a new creation; we have a new identity that reflect Him, our Father (2 Cor 5:17).

The enemy, on the other hand, is relentlessly seeking to steal your identity! He wants you to doubt God’s love and kindness towards you. He wants you to question God’s faithfulness and power. He is thrilled when you get caught up in fear, worry, and anxiety and distracted by trying to earn what is already yours! Wallowing in shame – the enemy is thrilled!

Your identity is not the only thing he’s eager to strip you of, he’s also after your peace, joy, beliefs, blessings and everything else that is good!

Watch out! The enemy lies! In fact, scripture tells us that he is the Father of Lies (John 8:44).

Subtle Tactics

The identity thieves we encountered didn’t show up at our front door and announce they were going to take some of our funds here and there. No, they did it secretly and quietly, hoping that we wouldn’t notice. If they had gotten away with one subtle transaction, I’m certain they would have persisted with a slightly larger attempt, and kept chipping away at our funds as long as they could!

The enemy uses the very same tactic. He starts out subtle in hopes that you won’t really notice what he’s up to. Little by little he blurs the lines. Then one day you wake up and suddenly realize that something is off and your identity feels fuzzy. By then fear has crept in. Doubt reigns. You are questioning God, His love for you, and more.

Could you be suffering from an identity issue and not even know it? Here are a few very subtle signs to pay attention to!

1. You Hurry

John Ortberg describes hurry in The Life You Have Always Wanted as “a disordered heart.” That’s just another way of describing an identity issue.

When tasks are your primary focus, you are more inclined to hurry and strive. To slip into operating in your own strength. Jesus was relationship focused.

Hurrying and accomplishing more won’t earn more of God’s love. He loves you, warts and all, already! When you are confident of His love, the need to impress fades too!

When people feel loved they naturally experience more peace. They are free to rest. They know exactly who they are because they know whose they are. They trust that God is good, in control, has their best in mind, so rushing is not necessary.

2. You Lack Margin

A second cousin to hurry is living your life void of space between activities and commitments. That space between is margin. Back-to-back obligations, even fun ones, keep you from processing your experiences, whittles away at your confidence, and sucks the joy right out of your life.

Today, the busy badge is worn with a sense of honor and proof that you are worthy. In truth, it’s crushing your soul, keeping you disconnected from the real you, and making it nearly impossible to be fully present.

When your identity is secure, maintaining margin in your life just makes sense!

3. You Can’t Say No

Do you find it hard to say no? What if agreeing to do everything you are asked to do is actually prevents others from stepping up? And don’t forget that over-committing is incredibly taxing!

When your identity is clear what to say yes to is clear. Your identity includes who God says you are, the unique way He designed you – your personality, strengths, and etc., and the purpose and/or priorities that God has for you right now.

4. You Are Overwhelmed

It’s a frequent chorus I hear, I’m so overwhelmed!

Being burdened by tasks and responsibilities is not the full life Jesus had in mind for you!

You are the son or daughter of the king! He has something for you to accomplish, but His burden is light, not overwhelming. His focus is more on “how” you do what you do, not on how much you do!

When you follow His lead, it’s not crushing. Are you willing to surrender and align with Him?

When you trust that God loves you deeply and is powerful enough to handle even your biggest challenges, you are free rest, relax, and rely on Him because you know exactly who you are.

5. You Are Swimming In Clutter

Your surroundings are a picture of what’s going on inside you. As you begin to sort through the clutter, ask yourself…

• • • What’s the reason I’ve kept this? Is it fear, guilt, shame or something else?
    • What does this symbolize to me?
    • What is the clutter revealing to me, about me?

De-cluttering is the process of letting go of physical objects. It paves the way for letting go of what’s less tangible such as funky beliefs, negative mindsets or attitudes, or unhealthy expectations that you’ve been clinging to.

Who are you outside of your stuff?

6. You Have No Time For Doing What You Love Doing

You need people in your life. You were created to be interdependent; to be in relationship!

You also need regular times with God: Deep, unhurried times where He can speak to you and love on you. And moments where you express your love and gratitude to Him. These intimate moments are fueling.

What other activities re-energize you and bring you joy? For me, those activities would be walking, reading, learning, creating, and time with my family. When these activities are missing from my life, I’m ignoring an integral part of who God designed me to be.

7. You Keep Multitasking

When I think about the “good ‘ole days,” I don’t think of people eating and texting, eating while driving, or returning e-mails while cooking dinner. OK, so maybe e-mailing and cooking are not possible, but you get what I mean about trying to do too many tasks at once! Trying to multitask just means no one task gets your full attention.

Multitasking feeds the illusion that you are productive, but robs you of the pleasure of being present.

8. You Are Prone To People Pleasing

I’ve covered the topic of people pleasing before, so I will keep it short here. In light of today’s identity theme, have you ever considered that perhaps the real reason you make such an effort to make everyone else happy is because you aren’t actually clear on what makes you happy or who you are?

When you are crystal clear on who God created you to be and what your identity is in Him your life is on a solid foundation! You know you are loved, that God is trustworthy and faithful so you are free to follow His lead, slow down, focus, and stop striving.

How are identity issues impacting you personally and professionally?