Who Am I? A Word For Seniors Pt1

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10 NKJV.

Can you and I answer the question; Who Am I? What’s my Identity? Now this is a word I believe for seniors, so if you’re a senior, please read this carefully and prayerfully. If you’re not a senior (yet), please read this carefully and prayerfully, as there will be some valuable lessons for you too, I am sure.

Many of us (not all, but I think it’s fair to say many) as we get older, are unable to actually do as much as we once did. Our energy levels drop, our physical strength diminishes, our stamina gets less. We need more rest, and we eat less and become choosier about the food we do eat. Our body aches and we have to spend more of our precious income on health. As Arnold Swartzeneger recently said, “I used to say ‘I’ll be back’. Now I say, ‘O my back!’”

Now through a combination of things, my own health, observation, the wisdom of age, the Scriptures and I’m sure the Holy Spirit, this statement came into my mind.

You find out your true identity, when you can do nothing to confirm it.

This is about our Identity as we age. Now there are two aspects to our Identity.

Firstly, Our Christ Identity.

This is who Christ has made us to be. This never changes and is common to all believers. We are all sons and daughters of the living God. We are all righteous in His sight. We have been justified, forgiven, raised up and seated with Christ in heavenly places. We are alive in Christ. We are complete in Christ. We are free from the law of sin and death. We are God’s child. We are God’s workmanship. (See Ephesians 2:10, 1 Peter 1:23, Romans 8:2, Colossians 2:10, Ephesians 2:5. Plus many other references).

There’s so much to discover about our Christ identity.

Secondly, Our Calling Identity.

The gifts, abilities, talents and strengths that God has given us, these express part of our identity. It is not our identity, but it expresses part of it. It is very deep in is, a God-given call, God-enabled gift and a God-given anointing.

For example, I am a writer. That’s who I am. And writers write. That’s what they do because that’s who they are. Givers give. Care-ers care. Leaders lead. Nurses nurse. Mothers mother. Drivers drive. Servers serve. Lawyers lawyer-er (if you know what I mean).

You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. John 15:17 NKJV.

We are chosen, and appointed. To bear fruit. That should remain – and glorifies Christ because it’s His enabling and it is His gifts working through us.

When we discover who we are in Christ, our Christ Identity (and that is the first and most important revelation we need I believe), we also discover the expression of our Calling Identity which is an outworking of the gifts and talents Christ has given us. My writing, an expression of my identity, it is part of who I am but it is not the only or the best part of me. Who I am in Christ, that is the better part, it is the foundation – Christ – and from there – Him – everything I do flows. (And hopefully points to Jesus, glorifies Him and has His mark upon it all).

Now, things get interesting.

If for whatever reason, we lose the capacity or the ability to do much of the things we used to do which confirmed our identity, who am I then? As I age, and health challenges mean I can do less of the things I used to do that expressed who I am through writing, preaching and teaching; who am I?

Who are you, when you can do less of all the things you used to do, which made you feel great because you knew God had called you to do those things?

That is when we need to know who we really are in Christ. Because the things we did, were an expression of part of our identity but they were not the fullness of our identity.

As we age our Christ Identity never changes, but our Calling Identity does. (Those terms are my own). That’s why many folks have a very hard time when they retire, or become empty-nesters. What they used to do, which was an expression of Christ-given-gifts, no longer exists. And without a very strong Christ identity, they struggle to know who they are.

It’s a lie of the devil to believe that because we may be less capacitated than we were, or we may even be fully incapacitated, to believe that we are of less value to the Lord and less in His sight than we were. Or, we may be blessed to still have good health and can do most things. But we’re older than we were and maybe feeling passed over and left out, and therefore of less value.

Here is a great lesson. We can find out who we are and discover our identity in Christ, well before we really need it, well before we may not be so able to do, what we once did.

Let’s pick up that thought again in the next Brief Word, plus look at, what is God’s will for us as we age? That’s a great question.

At whatever age, you are who God says you are and you are who His grace makes you to be.