How do you identify? Some identify first with their political party, others with the color of the skin, and still, others identify with their nationality and ethnicity. Does this bring the Lord who died on the cross for our sins honor? Instead of identifying with earthly beliefs, divisions, and differences, we should identify as children of the one, true, living God!

When we put our earthly identities above our identity as a child of God, it reveals our heart. Whether or not we realize it, these classifications can become a form of idolatry. We can become proud or even ashamed of our earthly identities and they can corrupt our thinking. When left untreated, we can think certain identities make us better or worse than those around us – even though this couldn’t be further from the truth.

On the flip side, when we put our identity in Christ first, we see the people we interact with not by their earthly identifications, but as our brothers and sisters in Christ – as our total equals! We will be more inclined to share the message of God’s love with our brothers and sisters who have not yet seen God’s light.

In conclusion, whether we are aware of it or not, how we identify drastically affects how we see and treat those around us. Jesus Christ was tortured and executed upon the cross for all of our sins. This amazing sacrifice should be all the reason we need to put our identity as children of God first!