Identity

Let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me . . . Jeremiah 9:23-24

Four years ago yesterday, I left chemical dependency treatment with questions about who I was. Was I a doctor and husband? Both of those were up in the air. Was I an addict or a Christian? Could I be both?

There are those who feel that we can only be one thing at a time. In this paradigm, one cannot be both a Christian and an addict. Once someone becomes a Christian, the old has gone and the new has come, so Christians simply can’t be addicts.

This I can only be one thing at a time, thinking is, of course, not consistent with reality or Biblical teaching. I am both a father and a physician. By any medical definition, I’m an addict living in recovery. I am also a Christian.

The reality of multiple identities is addressed in today’s passage. In it, God does not say that the strong man is not a strong man or that the rich man is not a rich man. Those identities do not dissolve when one comes to know God. What God is saying, is that the most important identity one has, is in a relationship with him.

God doesn’t command us to pretend those other identities do not exist. Rather, he commands that we live in our most important identity. Why is this important? If we simply insist the other identities don’t exist, we will deny the possibility of returning to them and we will remain blind to our struggle. Those who are no longer addicted to drugs still struggle with food, pride, anger, or lust.

I don’t live out my identity in God, simply by accepting it in my mind. I can claim to be a father without ever acting like one. I can call myself a physician without ever providing health care. God is not asking that we believe really hard that he is our primary identity. He is asking us to live out the truth that our relationship with him is the most important thing about us.

Every day I have this choice. Every day, my behavior reveals where I find my greatest identity. If I live as an addict, predictable consequences will ensue. If, however, I recognize my struggle, turning from it and pursuing God, then I will find true joy, purpose and meaning in my ultimate identity – as God’s Child.