A gracious identity

Fill in this blank: “I am a __________.”  For me, I know only one workable word that would tell all about me.  The word Christian speaks for my yesterday, my today, and my tomorrow.  It speaks for where I’ve traveled and where I’m headed.  It acknowledges my intentions and my actuality.  It explains why I laugh and why I cry and why I jump for joy.  Best of all, the word Christian points to Christ.  In Him, I find my whole identity.  It’s interesting that on TV game shows when the emcee asks the contestant to tell about himself or herself, we usually hear about the contestant’s occupation.  “I’m an electrician.”  “I’m a stay-at-home mom.”  “I’m a student.”  Yet these identifiers are incomplete and only temporary.  Students become teachers, subordinates change into managers, and sometimes company presidents lose their jobs and relocate as entry-level employees.  We are more than the sum of our work.  I am so thankful that the Lord’s grace lifts me out of the mire of sin and into a refreshed life of forgiveness.  Our identity lasts humbly in Him.  I am a Christian.  Amen.