"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them." —Ephesians 2:10

When you meet someone new, how do you identify yourself? What are some of the first things you want people to know about you? For example, do you say, “Hi, my name is Robin, and I’m a writer”? Or do you lead with, “Hi, I’m Debby, and I’m married with three children”? Maybe you don’t say it quite that quickly. But, often, how we identify ourselves in the first moments of meeting someone tells others what we believe is important about ourselves. Likewise, the questions we ask others when we first meet them tell them what we will value about them, such as “What do you do?,” “Where do you work?,” or “Where did you go to school?” As humans, we tend to value people according to their relationships, titles, or accomplishments. But your identity is so much more than that.

In God’s economy, your identity is not based on your relationships. You are not valuable to God because you are someone’s wife, mother, sister, daughter, or friend. Yes, relationships are essential, as God created us to be both in relationship with Him and with one another, but that’s not where our value lies. Finding our identities in being the best wife, best mom, or best friend is not solid ground to stand on because human relationships are fragile. When we build our identities on our relationships, the possible loss of connection could be something we may not recover from.

The same is true of basing our identities on our abilities or contributions to the world. When we uphold these things as the marker for who we are, what happens when someone more intelligent, more prosperous, or more beautiful comes along? We become confused, lost, or even competitive. We must not base our identities on how we measure up to others. Comparison is unhealthy for us since the target is constantly moving, which means we will never be content.

So if we are not what we do, what we contribute, or whom we know, who are we? God’s Word clearly defines who we are and whose we are, and for the next thirty days, we are going to discover our identities in Christ. Be prepared to experience freedom and power you never knew existed.