Reflective Essay: My Identity in Christ

Where do I find my identity? A couple of years ago, my 9th grade English teacher, who was also a youth group leader, asked our class, "Where do you find your identity, or who do you put your identity in?" Most said a sport or a hobby, however when it came to my turn to answer, I told him I didn’t have my identity in anything. He then proceeded to tell our class, “Everyone has their identity in something, whether it’s an object or a person.” After that day, I spent countless hours wrestling with that question. Now that I am saved, I am certain that I find my identity in Christ. 

Finding my identity in Christ has changed my outlook on life. For example, prior to becoming saved, I dreaded going to church! I would sit there zoned out, thinking about what I was going to eat for lunch after the sermon, or I would twiddle my thumbs watching the time go by, waiting for the sermon to end. Nevertheless, when I became saved, it was evident that I needed to change my attitude toward church. I began to take notes on the sermon and pay attention. Being saved has given my life a purpose. It gives my life a purpose considering the fact that if there was no God, everything I am doing would be ultimately meaningless, yet now that I am living for God, who has created me with a purpose, everything that I do has a purpose.  

I was grafted into this community of believers not because of my own works or because I was “good” enough, but in view of the fact that Christ died for my sins, and I recognized my need for Him. It has shaped me into who I am today because I am no longer a slave to sin, but I am a child of God. I have been forgiven and freely justified through Christ. I conform into this group of believers because Christ died for my sins and that I am a sinner in need of repentance. We all have one thing in common: the love of Christ. The love of Christ helps me to fit into the group of believers because Christ is our focus, which brings unity.  

Being a believer makes me me because I am different from the world. I don’t fit in with the world, but I stand out. For instance, at school, people will ask me about my belief on the issues in our society, such as LQBTQ+ and abortion. When I tell them I don’t support it or agree with it, and I use the Bible to show why I differ, they then ask if I am a Christian because they recognize a distinction between me and them. That is an example of where I stand out instead of fitting in with the world. 

Traditions that I do as part of this group are that I go to church on Sundays and the youth group on Wednesdays. I pray every day and I pray before my meals to thank God for all he has given to us. I also read the word of God and try to live it out. I live every day trying to grow closer to Christ and be more like him, even though I am not perfect and far from it.  

Being a Christian has not only a positive effect on my life, but it also has a positive effect on my afterlife. Before I was saved, I would brood the question, "Where will I go when I die?" I always feared that question, as I didn’t want to go to hell. Being a Christian helps me now to rest in the assurance of my salvation. Christianity has had a positive impact on my life because I now strive to love others the way Christ did. What I love about this group is that there was nothing I had to do to earn it; it was freely given even though I don’t deserve it.  

My role in Christianity is to spread the gospel, which is the "good news" that they too can be saved from the wrath of God, even though the world will reject it, and many will scoff at it. I am to live my life to please Christ and to reflect him. It is not only my role, but it is also my desire. My role is not, like many beliefs, to earn your way to heaven by good work. My role is to recognize my need for Christ and that he is the only way.  

In closing, I believe I belong to Christianity. I belong to this religion because I believe in Christ as my Lord and Savior. It has made me the person I am today because without becoming saved, I would still be the same fearful depraved child with no purpose as I was years ago. Finding my identity in Christ has helped me find my purpose in life, which has made me who I am today.