Travelling the country as the president of FCA since 2005, I’ve met people from all walks of life. Each of them — from our sold-out, longtime supporters to the new, fresh-faced first-timers — holds a special place in my heart as they help us fulfill this ministry’s now 60-year mission.
I meet hundreds of people each week, and our conversations usually start with a cordial greeting followed by the person explaining to me their connection and history with FCA and what they do for a living. It’s not uncommon to identify ourselves in that way, and it was immediately what came to mind – albeit on a much deeper level – as I contemplated the theme of “Identity” for this issue of FCA Magazine.
In our society, our demographic information is a quick way to establish our identity. It’s an easy method to describe ourselves as parts of groups or categories. While that works, we also have the polar opposite pull of society saying, “Be your own person! You are more than just a face in the crowd!”
So, if we’re listening to the world and we’re not careful, we’ll soon be suffering from a case of mistaken identity.
Before that happens and we throw in the towel as just another casualty of today’s society, I’m asking you the question, “Who are you?” I’m not talking about your family history, profession, race, socioeconomic status or any of those identifiers. I’m asking who you are… really.
If you’ve accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and your Lord, the answer should be pretty clear. You are a Christ-follower first and foremost. Just like it says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.”
Whether you’ve made a profession of faith or not, each of us needs to understand that we are in the constant presence of God. Who we claim to be and the actions that follow are just the tip of the identity iceberg. And that, ultimately, is what I feel identity is all about. It’s not explaining your past and what you do for a living, but having a deep understanding of who you are and Whose you are. When I say deep, I mean the parts of our lives below the waterline, where many of us are too afraid to actually go.
Trust me, it’s scary to go there. I’d know. I went there in 1990, when the Holy Spirit led me through a 13-month period of brokenness that helped reveal who I really was.
But I believe that in order to live the life God wants us to live, we each have to go below the waterline and face the facts of our true identity – imperfect, sinful human beings who Christ came to redeem.
Christ knew exactly who He was – the omniscient and omnipotent Son of the Living God who was sent to earth to redeem this lost and broken world from death and sin. Despite the death sentence it entailed, He embraced His identity.
So, who are you? And who do you want to become? Who are you going to trust and follow? I hope it is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Savior and Lord, because His will for your life is far greater than any dreams, ideas and identity you have for yourself.
Model the Master,
Les Steckel
FCA President/CEO
Originally published May 2014