Mistaken Identity

Imagine for a moment you are driving down the road and suddenly you hear the sound of a siren, look in your rearview mirror, and see a policeman behind you. You pull over and knowing the drill, you reach into your glovebox for your car info and into your wallet for your personal info.

As the officer walks up, you smile, and hand him your registration, insurance, and license. He takes one look at it and asks, “Sir, what is your name and address?” Puzzled, knowing it’s plainly on the license, you answer. He then asks, “Where did you get this ID?” Now, completely thrown, you answer, “Well, down at the DMV like I always have.” The officer then states, “Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to step out of your vehicle and come with me.” You ask, “Officer, what is the problem?” He, now frustrated, says, “The picture on the ID is obviously not you, the name is not what you said, and the address on the license is in another state from the one you gave me! Your identification and who you claim to be don’t match up.”

And all you can think about is how did someone else’s ID get into my wallet?! And where is mine?!

We live in a day when IDs too often don’t match up and the gap seems to be widening in:

• Title vs. Character
• Claims vs. Convictions
• Actions vs. Beliefs
• Truth vs. Fiction
• Appearance vs. Heart
• Social Media vs. Reality

We can alter ID based on:

• Location
• Setting
• People

This always reveals an identity crisis. Because in any situation where we are not sure who we are, we can:

• Misrepresent
• Miscommunicate
• Overcompensate
• Undervalue
• Overstate
• Accuse
• Falsify

Throughout the Gospels, we see the disciples deal with their own identities. But when they finally experienced who they were in the Lord, they found themselves. Because it was no longer about their fear of the Jewish leaders or their own potential of failure but who they had become. The same guys who were afraid of a storm took part in a mighty wind of change. The same guys who once questioned how to feed a crowd in a field started handing out the Bread of Life everywhere they went. The same guys who were afraid to leave a locked room couldn’t be shut up even in a courtroom threatening their death.

The truth is while we may want to carry around several IDs, we only need one.

You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.” —Matthew 5:48 MSG