Who You Are is Greater Than Where You Go

If we build our life on where we're going instead of who we are, then we will spend our entire lives chasing after something that we'll never satisfy. Oh, you'll you'll achieve, you'll strive, you'll compare, and when you arrive, you'll find it wanting because it will never be enough. There'll always be more. But when you get it right and your anchor, your identity in Jesus Christ, then everything else changes. Your identity is not something you achieve. It is something you can receive. And when we receive it, our direction starts to flow from it. And when our direction flows from it, we are free to live out the purpose that God has for us. His purpose, his guidance, and his confidence. [00:53:58] (50 seconds)  #AnchorInChrist

So instead of asking, how do I make it? How do I accomplish? How do I succeed? Start asking this question instead. How do I stay faithful? Instead of asking, am I enough? Start living like you already are Amen. Because of Jesus. And instead of building a life driven by comparison, begin to build a life marked by confidence in Jesus Christ, finding purpose in his mission and allowing his peace to reign. Because when our identity is secure, we don't have to compete. We are now free to become who God created us each individually to be. For all of us, it is never too early to get this right. For all of us, it is never too late to change course. [00:53:09] (49 seconds)  #ChooseFaithfulness

Our identity, the decisions that we make, what are we basing those on? The truth of Jesus or the path the world wants us. Anchor your identity in Christ, not in your performance, not in your platform, not in your GPA, not in your future plans. You are his. You are chosen. You are created on purpose and for a purpose. So walk into your next season of life with that truth in your hand, in your mind, and in your heart. Go to that school. Start that job. Take that next step, but do not go there looking for your identity. [00:55:40] (38 seconds)  #IdentityNotPerformance

You're chosen. You're set apart. You belong to God. It doesn't matter what everyone else is doing. If that's true, then we do not have to compete for a sense of value or worth. Our value has already been given to us by Jesus. The graduation season seems to encourage this line of thinking more than any other time of year, doesn't it? We see where everybody else is going. We hear what everybody else is doing, and we start stacking our life and our decisions up against everyone else. And here's what happens. Even if we're doing really well, we never quite feel like it's enough because someone else always has more. [00:50:45] (44 seconds)  #ChosenNotCompared

Before you ever step into a classroom, a career, or even follow your calling, you have to understand this first and foremost. Your identity is not something you earn. It is something you receive. That is a vital vital thing to consider. Everything our world tells us is the exact opposite of that truth. If you're in high school, your identity is your GPA. It's your acceptance letter. As an adult, it's your talents, it's your skills, it's your position, it's your bank account, it's your house, It's your job. [00:33:43] (41 seconds)  #ReceivedNotEarned

See, the world is always pressuring us to advance and to achieve. The pressure is constantly causing us to ask things like, man, am I good enough? Am I on the right path here? Do I measure up to the the standards of the world around me? The reality is this, that we live in a world that is obsessed with where you are going, where you are headed next. But God is way more concerned with who it is you're becoming. Don't forget that. Because there's a thing, if you don't know if you don't know who you are, every decision about where you go and what you do will be filled with pressure. [00:31:23] (45 seconds)  #WhoYouBecome

But when your identity is secured, your direction starts to flow from your purpose in life instead of fear and other outside sources. Today, we're gonna focus on what it means to build your life on an identity that does not shift with your success or your failure. This is a measure for everyone here. So we're gonna look at what God says about you. Knowing who you are in Christ changes the way you handle whatever comes next in your life. The truth is if you understand who you are, you won't have to chase where it is you think you're going. [00:32:08] (42 seconds)  #DirectionFromPurpose

So often in the world today, we begin making our decisions, directing our about our future based on these things. The the wrong foundation, if you will. We base it solely on what we've learned, what we've achieved, even what we've prepared for, maybe even what we want to be. Those aren't bad things to consider as a part of the process. But none of them, not a single one of those should be the starting point. All of those life choices should be made on the foundation of your identity. [00:32:50] (38 seconds)  #DecisionsFromIdentity