What is your identity in?

I just finished up reading a book entitled Atomic Habits. A very good smooth read with many interesting points. One of the points that stood out to me at the end of the book was that even a good habit can become a not so good thing. There can be a downside to creating a good habit because when you repeat a good habit it builds up evidence of a desired identity you have. So far so good. The fall comes when the habit is so deeply ingrained into our identity that it becomes harder to grow beyond it. The good becomes the enemy of best. It engulfs our identity until it enslaves us. It is insidious.

We all struggle with this sort of thing and need to be on guard, but the author gives some great examples of a few of the types of people who have. People who get out of the military, former CEO’s and Atheletes. These are examples of people who take such great pride in what they do that the have an identity crisis when they stop doing it. The author points out, “Habits deliver numerous benefits, but the downside is that they can lock us into our previous patterns of thinking and acting-even when the world is shifting around us.” Balance in life is important.

Investor Paul Graham states, “Keep your identity small”. Don’t let a single area of your earthly life define you. Someone who is quick to tell you they are a vegan when you first meet them will have their identity crushed should they develop a health crisis that forces them off their diet.

As the Scriptures state, There’s nothing new under the Sun. The above mentioned was also addressed two-thousand years ago by a man called John the Baptist. The religious leaders of John’s day were proud of their genealogy, that they were descendants of Abraham, that they forgot who they were really suppose to be pointing others to, Christ the Messiah. Same goes for Herod. Herod was so prideful as a ruler that he couldn’t take John’s pointing out his sin and had him imprisoned.

Fast forward to modern day. Many of us take pride in our jobs, family, hobbies and even the church we attend. But life is not sure and ever changing. Life is fluid.  Take the pride in the church you attend as an example. It has great programs and a very likeable and knowledgeable Senior Pastor. Then attendance and offerings are through the roof. Then God lays on this pastor’s heart that He needs him elsewhere. Many members in this scenario have an identity crisis.

As mentioned earlier, “Keep your identity small”. John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Messiah, said this very thing when he stated “He must increase, but I must decrease.” John rejoiced as a friend of the Bridegroom to see that day (John 3 v 30). It was in Him that was John’s identity. Then in (John 3 v 31) we see because “he that comes from Heaven is above all.”