What's my Identity?

This past weekend, I both finished reading the book, Divergent, and watched the movie.  I have to admit, the book was quite compelling and better than the movie.  I did, however, enjoy seeing the Chicago landscape in the background of the movie version.

What's my Identity?

If you are Facebook user, you may have found your newsfeed to be littered with BuzzFeed quiz results.  I have to admit, I have been lured to take several of these quizzes.  I realize they have no meaning, but still, I get a kick out of learning...

What city should I actually live in?

I got Cape Town!

Really?
Or,
What career should I actually have? ~Surgeon (That's nice)
What state do I actually belong in? ~Vermont (hmm, never been there, but I really hate winter)
How about these?
What kind of dog am I? ~Shiba Unu (what's that?)
What Star Wars character am I? ~Darth Vader (Umm, I guess I do have a dark side)
I am addicted to personality quizzes.  I take these quizzes and I find I have no real answer to who I am.  Most of the time, my results are split so evenly, the quiz becomes inconclusive.  I have no real defined personality type or identity according the people who write these quizzes.  Do I believe that?  Not for one second!
I have an identity.  I am a child of God, the one true King.  I have a purpose He gave to me.  I am part of a community of believers who have been charged to love God and love people.  There are days this is difficult for me to do, but this is the bottom truth on which I base my whole outlook on life.  I find ways everyday to return to God, and to show Godly love for others.

"I have loved you even as the Father has loved me.  Remain in my love.  When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father's commandments and remain in his love.  I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy.  Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.  There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends." ~John 15:9-13 (NLT)

Will you choose your identity in Christ?

Secret Identity?

Which identity was real to him? Clark Kent or Superman?

Do you ever wonder if the Superheroes had identity issues?  In the stories of the comics and movies, you sometimes see them struggle with having two personas.  I feel the story that most illustrated identity crisis was the story of Superman, as told by the writers of the TV series, Smallville (WB).  The series portrays young Clark Kent struggling as a teenager, growing up awkwardly with powers that grew.  Often times, he hated his power and his responsibilities, and only longed to be simply "average."  In the end, we see how he finally accepted his responsibilities to the planet Earth, and how he embraced those with great honor.

Sometimes, life as a Christian brother or sister feels just as conflicted.  We have additional responsibilities that were given to us, as the gift of life was given.  Sometimes, we would choose to ignore that responsibility, trying to stay "average," which is also known as "worldly," or even sinful.  God calls us to rise above the worldly ways, and adopt his Godly ways.  We are called to love - God and his people.  What does it look like to love that way?

This is best illustrated in the book of Galatians.  When we love others the way God intends us to love, we demonstrate fruit: we have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (chapter 5, verses 22-23).  I think Superman demonstrated these traits.  Can we?

"When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these.  Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.  But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  There is no law against these things!" ~Galations 5:19-23 NLT