Who Are You IN Christ?
I just celebrated my 40th Birthday this year. If you are anything like the 22-year-old friend I was speaking to at church, you may be wondering how it feels to be saying good-bye to my twenties and thirties. Gulp. Well, I never thought I would be saying this, but it feels really good! When I was asked how that could possibly be (by the 22-year-old), my response was this:
“Because I feel like more than any other time in my life, I know who I am—in Christ.”
Don’t miss those last two words. They make all the difference. Jesus tells us,
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing”
John 15: 5
Too often we try and navigate our young adult lives by our own wisdom, strength and understanding. We feel like we have to prove that we can make it on our own, as we break away from our families and enter into the ‘real world.’ Whether it’s earning a degree in college, moving to a new city, starting a new job, or getting married and starting a family we all want to feel like we are making some kind of mark in this world.
But see, the problem is that when we try and define our worth and value by the world’s standards, we are always going to be let down. The only thing that is going to add true meaning and fulfillment to anything we do in life is not having more friends or earning a bigger pay check, but remaining close, connected and in constant communion with Jesus, the Author and Creator of our souls. Check out these promises to those who remain in Christ:
- Transformation. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
- Power. “…in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.” (Colossians 2:9-10)
- Purpose. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)
Embracing these truths helps us to know who we truly are according to God’s standard. If we remain in Christ through regular prayer, worship and reading the Bible, it changes everything about the way we see the world and our place in it. Everything. We will be free from trying to prove to the world our lives mean something. We will realize we don’t need to prove anything to anyone when we know where our true significance lies. It is not about what we do or where we have been or where we are headed, but who we are in Christ.
Who are you, my friend?
No matter what age you are or what stage in life you are in, take some time to remind yourself of who you truly are—in Christ. Remain close to Him. Abide in Him and find joy in His presence. It makes all the difference.