ID, show your ID. Do you have your ID? Many of us are asked this each time we go to work. When we go to the bank, write a check or conduct just about any kind of business. Basically, our ID identifies our name, and sometimes shows our picture and other pertinent information related to identifying us.
How many times have you heard yourself, spouse, children or co-workers say “I am afraid I am losing my identity.” We are usually meaning individuality, personality, character, uniqueness, or ourselves in some way, we think and feel certain, that we know about ourselves. We even marry at times to make a sea of identity for ourselves. Our children whether it be good or bad will at times strike accord with others to believe and declare they have identified us, their parents. And, yes, even our Nation can at times identify us.
Another most interesting one is when we are mistakenly identified as someone else. Might be humorous or flattering if someone in just passing thinks and yells, AH, you look like some famous person and especially one that we might admire. But, that comment turns another raging color when it could cause us lots of legal or other bothersome problems.
One of the most baffling scriptures to me is when the seven sons of Sceva along with some itinerant Jewish exorcists decided to call the name of the Lord over one who had evil spirits. They had just heard and watched the Apostle Paul at work with his true identity. Paul spoke and laid hands on many and the sick were healed and the evil spirits went out of their bodies. The Jewish exorcists and Sceva’s sons finds when they used a fake ID copied from Paul, the evil spirit speaks to them and demands they show their true ID in order to enter the work zone. The man says, Jesus I know, Paul, I know, but WHO ARE YOU! In my mind this might just make one drop in the sea of identity. And it did. “The possessed man went berserk—jumped the exorcists, beat them up, and tore off their clothes. Naked and bloody, they got away as best they could.” (Matthew 19:11-16 Message)
A Sea of Identity! Just who are we? We really should know and show our true identity at all times.
1 Peter 2:9,10 NLT “You are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, and God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people.”
1 Peter 2:1-3 “So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.”
A Sea of Identity! Our identity is like the sea so expansive it stretches beyond our own thoughts and imagination. You can see its beginning but not its end; for it sweeps across a span of space but yet it stops and the boundaries are set for one to identify. There are times when the sea rages with a personality unknown to the human heart like that of the recent Tsunami.
A Sea of Identity! As we pause and meditate on our identity in the resurrection, life after death, one might wonder, what will it be like? We reach back into our passage from I Peter…” Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people.” God has given us an identity and the scripture is clear that God is love and that the identity He has given us will not be blotted out. Only our sins will be or have been blotted out, if we allow Him to blot them out. Isaiah 43:25 We believe by faith there is a connection between are identity today and our identity after death. Identity has a beginning but we cannot see the end.
Peter answers again for us. “…you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation.” Our identity, our self, our soul, continues to grow as we crave the pure spiritual milk. This will lead us into a maturity of true identity.
A Sea of Identity! My prayer is that we will seek truth, and let truth untwine our mixed emotions, bring forth a purity in heart, soul and spirit. May our ID make a way for peace in the world? May we have confidence in our hope in Christ Jesus and the identity He has put around our neck to wear and show love with gladness and singleness of heart to a world that will hopefully desire to identify with us as we identify with Him, our great Sea of Identity!
I hope that we will find, know, and show our ID today!
thedailylily.com 
That might also hold true concerning retaining our identity in Christ Jesus which He would so willingly share with us as we follow in the guidelines and objectives for which Jesus died in our behalf; those paths that lead to righteousness and holiness. Yes, there are specific guidelines to follow that help identify a son or daughter of the Living God. They are prescribed and procscribed in the Word of God. The description of the man/woman therein can almost totally identify the subject, not by outward appearances such as hair or eye color but from the inner light and the outward actions (showing forth the goodness of God, as quoted above), etc.
The ultimate test of identity theft will be summed up at the final bell, the shattering of the golden bowl, the severing of the silver cord……at the end of one’s life, as one awaits recognition from the ONE and ONLY Who ONLY can vouch for the true identity of the soul. If one’s has spent a life of fraudulence (identity theft) . while posing as an AUTHENTIC soul….that one will hear the verdict of true identity verification from the righteous Judge: Depart from ME, I never knew you.”
“Our identity, our self, our soul, continues to grow as we crave the pure spiritual milk.”
Looks like Paul gives us a dietary plan for growth and health. What we feed on will evident by our growth pattern.
If we have immature, stunted growth perhaps we have allowed our eyes, ears or mouth to feed on the wrong things.
“The words of a gossip are swallowed greedily, and they go down into a person’s innermost being.” Proverbs 18:8
Just to add to your comment. In todays reading of Jesus Calling (dated March 3) it says that we also may be tied in knots (which would result in a stunted growth) because we listen to so many voices and can not discern the voice of God. Sounds like we better learn in life to know when God is speaking and when the world is speaking and one case may be gossiping. The devotional says, “Refuse to let other voices tie you up in knots. My sheep know My voice and follow me wherever I lead. I hope the discerning of the Lord’s voice does not take a life time.
I am thinking if I embrace the thought of Legacy as an addendum to id would I think and do differently each moment of my day.
Legacy; NOA Dictionary • “a thing handed down by a predecessor : the legacy of centuries of neglect.” …or we might say of remembrance.
Isaiah 43:25 “We believe by faith there is a connection between are identity today and our identity after death. Identity has a beginning but we cannot see the end.”
“I am thinking if I embrace the thought of Legacy as an addendum to id would I think and do differently each moment of my day”. Sara, after conversing with you, I think we came to a LITTLE understanding of this “id”. If I am understanding Sigmund Freud’s “three part psychic apparatus”, we have the: 1) id – which seeks pleasure 2) ego – gets to decide whether to go with the id or the super- ego 3) super-ego – our conscious, maintains morality. ( if I understand correctly??)
In light of this id, ego, super-ego, would it be fair to answer your question….”yes”, but should we, as Christians consider the “addendum to super-ego”??
TH…Thanks for this thought provoking question. I am going over it in my mind as if turning it over and over might give me enough delegates to run for the office of super-ego!
Rena quotes from another…”we also may be tied in knots (which would result in a stunted growth) because we listen to so many voices and can not discern the voice of God.” And, Debi above speaks of spiritual growth above.
Taking a mathematical approach to ‘id-ego-super-ego’ of Tholton’s question; “should we, as Christians consider the addendum to super-ego?” I say, yes but ask does this come with the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives?
Ok, TH. So then is that the id {ID} that we show when, as Sara says, ‘show your ID’? IS that the pleasure seeking, appetite driven, unconcerned-for-others..ME-first-ism, ID [id] that we show when we are pressed upon to present it, that id which is SHOWING? I have seen it in others….that ME FIRST ID and it is a good mirror to look into sometimes when one is searching for what they might look like in identifying who “they” REALLY are. YIKES!!
Yes, when you think about what you will be remembered for (or forgotten for) it does make you think about the impact of a present action having a future repurcussion.
“The wise shall inherit glory,But shame shall be the legacy of fools” Proverbs 3:35.
Remembrance when properly applied gives what we might term, ‘double hope.’ Single Vision with double Hope! Does that sound right?
It sounds right to me. Single vision…seeing clearly with a purposeful focus…is very hopeful and says bright future and legacy to me.
“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” Matt 6:22 KJ
To be single-eyed….reminds me of Jesus in Hebrews 12: 2-3 which says, “Looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who having joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and now sits on the right hand of the throne of God.” He was single-eyed, His face set like a flint to go to Jerusalem. The Joy that was set before Him was a Kingdom of sons and daughters and reigning with the Father. Jesus’ single vision was the Cross. His double hope which He achieved was the THRONE and souls for the Kingdom and there is more to come.
His action at the Cross had “future repercussions” unto eternity.
“…stops and the boundaries are set for one to identify. ” boundaries are set…how many boundaries did I set today?
“Boundaries are set for one to identify…”
How can the love of Christ identify me to others so that they may see and know His love flowing if I have restrictive walls of self in place that won’t allow it to flow? His love knows no bounds. He is identified by His limitless love…”how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.”(Eph 3:18). Thinking on: “Our identity is like the sea so expansive it stretches beyond our own thoughts and imagination …” This must only be achieved and realized when we are so lost in the love of Christ and one with Him that love for others will know no bounds.
“My love will know no bounds,” (Hosea 14:4)
I think the only way to have a superego that leaves a Legacy worth celebrating is to have the work of The Holy Spirit in our lives as Sara said. And if anybody else is in the driver’s seat of our psyche, we are probably in for a ride we will wish in the end of our journey we hadn’t gone on.
“God has given us an identity “, Sara writes. It seemsto my understanding that when God the Father saw Jesus on the cross, He saw us identified with Him. That’s the only way He can see us…and accept us….and forgive us….through Christ’s blood. We in Him. That is our identity, our worth, our purpose, our merit, our assurance of heaven and eternal life with the Father.
“For if we are become identified with him in the likeness of his death, so also we shall be of his resurrection;” (Romans 6:5)
Jesus Christ wants to be our friend. How many times does one day dream about knowing the right people in the right places to make a real great connection for them? If you know Jesus Christ as your friend; Wham, bang goes the success? After all He is the creator of heaven and earth! The all knowing, the all powerful One to know! Do you know Him? We can give Him thanks and offer Him our hearts of gratitude for those he sends in another direction from us and those that He brings into our cycle of life for the season. He sure knows the cycle of connections! What a wonderful friend to have and I hope not to dull His friendship with worries of others or my own.