This might seem semantics to some, but I think that the difference is important. Human beings tend to gravitate toward the things that we like. Another way of putting it is that we become obsessed with the things that we pursue. When I buy a new video game I can became obsessed with playing and I don’t do a lot else with my free time. Recently I did this with Monster Hunter Rise. I was extra bored during a week long ice storm that struck Mississippi in January. My wife and I were stuck in our house the entire week and I wanted something new to play. I thought Monster Hunter Rise would be a fun casual game that wouldn’t consume my attention, but I was very wrong. What started out as casual turned into more of an obsession. I watched YouTube videos on armor, weapons, and fighting strategies. It was a problem.

The issue was not that I was playing a video game, but that my obsessive behavior was starting to warp my identity. What is an identity though? An identity is “the distinguishing character or personality of an individual.” We all have identities and usually we have multiple. We can change, adapt, or remove an identity completely if we so desire. I identify as male, a husband, straight, a teacher, a Christian, a dog owner, an American, a Mississippian, and many more. When we become obsessed with things our identity can be endangered. Sometimes it is a shallow thing like being obsessed with a video game for a week or two. Other times it is a dangerous obsession like loving money or sex.

This leads me to my main point. We actually have two different forms of identities. The first form, or primary form, is our main identity. This is the identity with a capital I. The second form, or secondary identities, are the identities that help describe who we are, but don’t define who we are. Most of the items I used previously are secondary identities. Being a husband or a teacher don’t define me. Being a Christian on the other hand, does.

Identity

First let’s look at capital Identity. Most people don’t think about what their primary Identity is. We go about our day doing life as we have always done without thinking about what drives us. This doesn’t change the fact that something is at the root of who we are and why we do anything. My Identity is Christian. Christian means “follower of Christ” which means that I base ever part of my life off of His teachings and the teachings of His disciples. There are those out there who muddy their Identity by trying to add another identity through hyphenation. Conservative-Christian, Liberal-Christian, and Progressive-Christian are some of the most common hyphenated Identities on the market at the moment. You will notice a similar trend between each one though. Christian always comes second. No longer is their main Identity focused on Christ and His teachings. Now they are filtering Christ through the lens of the other identity.

Keep Jesus the Focus

Luckily for us this is not a new thing. Jesus was very clear when He said that we could only serve one identity. Matthew 6:24 “‘No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” We can interchange master and identity and the point will remain the same. We can only have one Identity. If our Identity is conservatism we will focus on the agenda promoted by that group. Likewise, if our Identity is liberal we will follow their agenda. Neither conservatism nor liberalism through the lens of Christ are bad. Christians should be both conservative and liberal at the same time. The problem arises when we switch the filter and place Christ behind the others. We need to keep Jesus where He belongs, and that is as the central focus of our lives.

Conclusion

Who is your master? What is your Identity? Are you taking an identity and placing it as the centerpiece of your life? Having money is not bad. Pursing financial stability is not bad. Pursuing money at any cost is wrong. To end I’ll say this. When you are working through your day and something unexpected comes up what do you look to for help? If Christ is your Identity than you will look to Him for help. If something else is your Identity you will look to that instead.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains — 
 where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
 the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 121: 1–2 NIV