Living Out Our Identity in Christ

Lately I have been loving the Netflix series the The Crown. The show, set in England in the mid-1900s, focuses on Queen Elizabeth II, England’s current monarch, in her early reign.

In 1936, Queen Elizabeth’s father unexpectedly became king when his brother abdicated the throne to marry an American divorcee. Elizabeth ascended the throne at the age of 25 after her father’s untimely death at 56. As I watch this show I am getting a quick education on the British monarch, Winston Churchill, and parliamentary government. While it fascinating to learn a bit of history, what intrigues me the most is the dichotomy between the public and private Elizabeth.

As the Head of State, and also the Head of the Church, Elizabeth is often required to make decisions from her position as Queen rather than as a woman, wife, or sister. As you can imagine, it causes trouble in her personal life. She does not have the freedom to do whatever she wants, as one would think. Instead, she has an obligation to uphold tradition and maintain the dignity of the crown.

John 13:35

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

As I teach my kids about their identity it occurs to me that there are many times we will have to make decisions from our position as well.

As a child of the King and ambassadors to our culture, the decision to love comes from our identity and not our feelings. The decisions to serve others, despite what they deserve, will come from it too. Our identity in Christ compels us to forsake our feelings and choose what is right, not what is easy or culturally relevant. To do so, we must lead with empathy and save our opinions for later.

This takes practice along with renewing our mind. To renew our mind means we become acquainted with the ins and outs of who we are in Christ by reading the Word of God. Understanding our identity then empowers us to get over ourselves and to stop making choices from a place of deficit, insecurity, or disillusion.

The more you know how much God loves you, the more capable you are of loving others. When a situation arises, you already know how you are going to respond. You don’t have to think about it. You are prepared.

[Tweet “Your identity as Christ’s beloved is your compass.”]

We will also no longer look to others to place value on us or give us permission to claim who Christ created us to be.

As I learn more about the royal family, I gain a better understanding about the personal sacrifices they had to make. While yes, they have a luxurious life, it is far from the fairy tales we have become accustomed to watching on TV. There are standards they must uphold and expectations they must meet. It is a life for only a chosen few.

1 Peter 2:9

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 

As Christians, we too are a chosen people. I hope that the choices my family and I make come from a deep understanding of our worth and value in the eyes of our King, our Creator, rather than who culture wants us to be.

Would you like to help your daughter embrace her identity in Christ?

The ENGAGE Bible Study Series provides a great starting place. Learn more here.