It's Who I Am

My oldest son was in preschool when I first became known as "Adam's Mommy." For some of his classmates, that would even function as my name. "Hi, Adam's Mommy!" they would say as I came to pick him up.

To my kids, I am no longer "Mommy," but simply "Mom." And with the shortening of the name, the role is changing as well. My kids no longer believe that I have all the answers. I can no longer fix everything. And though my advice is usually received respectfully, it isn't always followed. (And much to my chagrin, my advice is not always correct.)

All of our earthly roles change, and many of them cease. And yet we love to cling to those roles. They remind us who we are. They give us worth a sense of worth.

The problem with grounding our identities on our earthly roles is that they cannot bear the weight of our expectations. Nothing is this world is strong enough to prop up all our insecurities and doubts. If we find our worth in being a good mother, the normal heartache we experience when our children struggle is compounded by the fear that we no longer measure up. If we base our identity on a ministry or career, we panic if we feel it may be lost.

In the book Who Am I?, Jerry Bridges reminds us that Christians have a far more valuable identity than any earthly role we can take on. I am still Adam (and Elise and Jake's) mom, a job I will always treasure. I am still a Sunday School teacher, a task that I love. But I am also in Christ. I am Justified. I am an adopted child of God, a saint, a servant of Christ, and I am not yet perfect.

The beautiful thing is that I am not required to be these things in my own strength (because I would certainly fail!), but in the grace and strength that He provides. They cannot be taken away from me, because they are preserved for me by God's power. (1 Peter 1:3-5)

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)