Labels and Identity

How do you identify? 

There are so many labels that we use to categorize and distinguish ourselves - our job, nationality, region of origin, favorite sports team, hobbies or interests, religion, denomination, birth order, type of food you eat, political affiliation, sexual preference, school you attended, graduating year, physical abilities,... pretty much anything you can think of.

What is your primary identity? What's most important?

Do the labels we use help us understand ourselves and others better? Do they serve us in that they help us identify others who share the same traits? Or do they just serve to divide us ("You're different. You're not X like me!")? 

For a Jesus-follower this has huge implications. Paul addressed this in his letter to the Christians in the region of Galatia when he wrote, "For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 3:28)

For a believer, our primary identity is "forgiven and beloved child of God." That is the most important distinguishing factor in our lives, not any of the other labels we so often use.