Identity Crisis

     "Who are you?... hoo, hoo... hoo, hoo..."  Lyric from one of my favorite bands to date; question that many of us spend whole our lives hoping to one day answer.   

     Since returning to NYC for work on this year's Tribeca Film Festival, I've had to do some routine rearranging.  As Phillip said to me before I left, "we are creatures of habit. We like routine, and if we have to change our daily routine we have worked so hard to perfect, we find it hard to function".  Well I found ole' Phil to be right on this, as I have been a little perturbed to be out of my normal routine, going days in between my runs, sleeping less than my normal 8 hours a night, and "not having enough time" for my daily morning Bible study.  It's funny:  I've always considered myself to be a free spirit of sorts, going with the flow of things, chill as a cucumber.  And although this is how I am for the most part, I too, am a creature of habit.

     So as I was saying,... I've done some routine rearranging.  And guess what:  I am still breathing.  The world hasn't ended.  All is well.  I have decided to go on daily walks after lunch, use the first 20 minutes at my desk for Bible study in the mornings, and although it's not my normal routine, I'm adjusting to what works for me, and it's going great!
     Which brings me to the reason for my post:  today, while working at my desk, I listened to an online sermon from Pastor Mark Driscoll with Mars Hill Church.  (you can find a list of sermons, daily devotions, and other resources here.)  It was from his new sermon series covering the book of Ephesians, titled: "Who Do You Think You Are".  In the first part of the series, Pastor Mark discusses who we are as followers of Jesus:  "I Am ______."  This message spoke to me in so many ways.  Key points I took from the lesson: 

• Your identity is received NOT achieved:  meaning you can't earn salvation.  It is by "grace alone that you are saved".  In short, you can't save yourself.
• Your identity is NOT found in IDOLS:  (Items, Duties, Others, Longings, Sufferings)  So many times we try to find our identity in the clothes we wear, the jobs we work, the acceptance of others, the hopes of better tomorrows, and the heartaches of our yesterdays.  But all these things are lies and they ultimately fail us.  Identity is in Christ, not in you, not in idols.

     If you have some time-- better yet, make time (while answering your emails, or during your morning jog <there's an app for that-- "Mars Hill">) to listen to this sermon. "Click Here". 
     Pastor Mark ends the lesson with a statement that really resonated within me:  "on our deathbed, all that will matter to us is Jesus, and people."  We won't care about the trophies we won, the car we drove, the shoes we wore.  It'll be about the relationships we built-- the "I love you's" we said-- the acts of kindness we performed, all in the name of Jesus:  I'd like to think those are the things I'll remember as I take my last breath.
     Stop searching for yourself.  If you know Jesus, you're already found.  You have purpose.

~ Have a great day, friends.  And thank you, Phillip, for introducing me to this wonderful study tool.