vegas edition behind, i asked the question, “where do we find our identity?” more simply, what defines us? something defines every single one of us. if we say nothing defines us, that still is a definition of our lives.

God taught me so much about myself this summer. through the things i was able to experience, He showed me who i really am. what my interests really are, what i can immerse my life in and not want to do anything else, what i’m good at, what i’m not, what He wants me to get better at, what i simply need to leave behind, but most importantly that I am loved.

i was so blessed by the CCIC-SV Body Worship team this summer. it was such an incredible depiction of being beautiful in the eyes of God.

I’m not the shoes I wear, I’m not the clothes I buy

I’m not the house I live in, I’m not the car I drive no

I’m not the job I work, you can’t define my worth

By nothin’ on God’s green earth my identity is found in Christ

i’ve listened to this song countless times on my long drive to school or to the blueprint shop and i’m reminded of Joyce’s smile, Catherine’s perfect ballet form, Emily being lifted up, Enoch’s popping, Jason’s energy and JFu flexing. it was so amazing to see the 6 of you share this message that our identity is not defined by what we do but by who we are in Christ.

in “Batman Begins,” when Rachel Dawes encounters Batman, not knowing it is really her friend Bruce Wayne, she asks who he is, and his special effected voice gets all deep and he says, “It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.”

But Jesus says something different to the 72 in Luke 10:20. Jesus has sent out 72 to minister for Him, to spread the Gospel, to heal people and to minister to others. And they do. They come back to Jesus sharing with Him all the crazy things they have seen and encouraged by all the things they had done. But Jesus says something amazing in v. 20 when He says “Do not rejoice the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

It’s funny to think about, but what if the disciples came back to Jesus and had utterly failed? What if they didn’t drive out evil spirits? What if they hadn’t healed anyone? What if no one had been converted?

Something tells me Jesus would have said “Do not despair that the spirits didn’t submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

I’m thankful that God took a long, challenging, meaningful summer to remind me of this truth in so many ways.

God is infinitely more concerned with who You are than what You do