Who Am I?
HIERARCHY OF IDENTITIES
AMBASSADOR OF CHRIST
⬇️
HUSBAND
⬇️
FATHER
⬇️
WORSHIP PASTOR
⬇️
MUSIC DIRECTOR
⬇️
HUSBAND
⬇️
FATHER
⬇️
WORSHIP PASTOR
⬇️
MUSIC DIRECTOR
This list could certainly be much wider and longer if I wanted to include some of the other identities that I possess in life. However, for the sake of this illustration, I wanted to keep things simple.
In life, we take on many roles. For some of you that may be teacher, student, coach, banker, budget manager, laundry washer, food prepper, etc. . . you get the point. But I think it is crucially important for us to have the proper hierarchy of identities in place.
For example, this week a member of our band came to me to tell me that they felt like God was burdening them to help foster another ministry in our church and they were needing to take a season off of the music team. To be honest with y'all, the "music director" identity in me was saying "NOOOOOOooooo!" BUT even more than a music director, I am a worship pastor. This person was coming to me to tell me that they felt like God was calling them to something else for a season. Their very act of obedience in that is worship. What kind of "worship pastor" would I be if I did not support this person? One that thinks that music is the only way to worship God?
I've been doing some soul searching lately - trying to discern whether or not I really am living out the life God designed for me to live and being the man God created me to be. This has led me to remember this simple hierarchy of identities that God has given me. And when I keep these identities in place, it truly helps me to live out my faith, make wiser decisions, and respond much better in difficult situations.
2 Cor. 5:20 says, "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." As Christ followers, we are first and foremost "ambassadors for Christ." This means that above our identity of teacher or coach or financial analyst or whatever, we represent Jesus.
The identities that we have at the top of our hierarchy should shape the decisions we make in the roles underneath and NOT in the opposite direction. To reference my previous example, any decision I make as a music director should not conflict with my identity of worship pastor. Any decision I make as worship pastor shouldn't conflict with my identity of dad or husband or ambassador of Christ.
Y'all catching my drift? I'd encourage you to think through your roles that you have taken on in life. Here's the primary purpose. . . above all of them, you are a son/daughter/ambassador of Christ!!
In life, we take on many roles. For some of you that may be teacher, student, coach, banker, budget manager, laundry washer, food prepper, etc. . . you get the point. But I think it is crucially important for us to have the proper hierarchy of identities in place.
For example, this week a member of our band came to me to tell me that they felt like God was burdening them to help foster another ministry in our church and they were needing to take a season off of the music team. To be honest with y'all, the "music director" identity in me was saying "NOOOOOOooooo!" BUT even more than a music director, I am a worship pastor. This person was coming to me to tell me that they felt like God was calling them to something else for a season. Their very act of obedience in that is worship. What kind of "worship pastor" would I be if I did not support this person? One that thinks that music is the only way to worship God?
I've been doing some soul searching lately - trying to discern whether or not I really am living out the life God designed for me to live and being the man God created me to be. This has led me to remember this simple hierarchy of identities that God has given me. And when I keep these identities in place, it truly helps me to live out my faith, make wiser decisions, and respond much better in difficult situations.
2 Cor. 5:20 says, "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." As Christ followers, we are first and foremost "ambassadors for Christ." This means that above our identity of teacher or coach or financial analyst or whatever, we represent Jesus.
The identities that we have at the top of our hierarchy should shape the decisions we make in the roles underneath and NOT in the opposite direction. To reference my previous example, any decision I make as a music director should not conflict with my identity of worship pastor. Any decision I make as worship pastor shouldn't conflict with my identity of dad or husband or ambassador of Christ.
Y'all catching my drift? I'd encourage you to think through your roles that you have taken on in life. Here's the primary purpose. . . above all of them, you are a son/daughter/ambassador of Christ!!
Recent
Archive
2023
September
2022
2021
September
October
November
1 Comment
Amen!