like a fire

I have been reading a lot of Marko lately. I don’t know if his blogging has changed or if I just didn’t get him before, but he really has my attention lately. Specifically, he is writing a book on youth ministry that I can’t wait to get my hands on.

The latest chapter preview is on identity. This is one of my hot topics and I have been teaching a lot on it lately. Marko provides an excerpt (teaser) for us:

“For our purposes, we’ll define identity as the “who am I?” question. Simply put: one’s identity is the sum of one’s self-perceptions. This includes self-perceptions about character, values, purpose and potential in life, caste, emotional make-up, appearance and body type, intellectual and spiritual and emotional strength or weakness, relationship to family and friends and culture at large, and many other factors.”

He then goes on the describe how preteens don’t have generally have the abstract thought to develop a sense of identity, It is in the teen years that this becomes paramount.

I am so ready to hear what Marko has for this, especially if he has any insights into how we help teens find their identity, especially if they are believers. Check out the post if this whets your appetite.

My thoughts have been gathering for this for a couple a years. What were we created for? What specifically am I here to do? Where is my place in the kingdom? My counselor pushed on most of those questions to make them much more specific. What would I do if I could do anything? The best and hardest question though still has me thinking.

What are five things about you that will always be true?

I still think about that and wonder. I have a couple of answers, but not a complete answer to the question. That question has become a great source of freedom for me. It is specific to me, rather than the vague leaning of my identity in Christ. It helps me know when I am being true to myself rather than living for other’s approval (a big problem for me). So I was thinking about this and the importance of identity when reading John 13 the other day. One word changed my perspective on identity.

John 13:3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel he had around him.

The word “so” changes my perspective on the passage. Basically, because Jesus knew where he came from, where he was going - who he was - he did what followed. Did identity drive Jesus’ mission? I can’t see how he could have done it apart from that knowledge. So that is my new goal and teaching point on identity. Where do I come from, where am I going, and who am I? Thoughts?