As I get older, it feels like my identity shifts. When I was younger, my identity revolved around my friends. As I grew, my identity was in my job. As my job increased, so did my ego. Finally God allowed me to go through a series of career set-backs that removed "job" from the picture as far as my identity goes.
Now I see my identity in my relationships. First of course, is my relationship with God. It seems that this offends some people. I try not to quote scripture "at" people while at the same time staying true to the Word. The problem comes when the only real answer to a question lies in the bible. Why are people so unhappy to hear that the answer is a spiritual one? Why is that so offensive? I know that there have been times in MY life that I didn't want to hear that either. Usually those times were when I was walking somewhere God didn't want me to be (and knew it).
My identity is also defined by other relationships (healthy or otherwise). Of my earthly relationships, by far the most important is that with my wife. She is the center of my (earthly) universe. Many are the days that coming home to her is all that keeps me going (mind you I have far and far to go as a husband, I feel inadequate at this almost all the time). Following close behind is my relationships with my children. This too has changed dramatically over the years. I see more and more that I need to focus on the essentials and trust that God will handle the incidentals.
Lastly, I am defined by my relationships outside the home. These include friends, other family members, neighbors, church, little league, etc. Much of the time, these are the toughest. These people get only vignettes from my life and have to make judgment based on (in many cases) incomplete knowledge.
I am - A Man of God, A Husband, A father, A Friend, An Emplyee, An Acquaintance. Through it all, only God really knows who I am.
blessings on your day
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