12th April, 2007
CHRIS THOMPSON

It is true that we live in a world of fake and fraud. I do not believe that there has been another time in all of history that society as we know it that is as synthetic as our society in America is today. Studies show that we are altering ourselves in many and various ways. Some prefer the altering of plastic surgery, with all the skin level changes that can be achieved. Still others alter their identities by stealing others, leaving their victims to pay the cost of there new identity. Yet others use money to create an illusion of who they are; building their very own kingdoms out of plastic credit cards.

PICTURE: Christopher Rayan (www.sxc.hu) "I tried to use sports, music, and even religion to create an identity. I was faithful in my church attendance. I was a hard worker in athletics. I worked overtime on my musical abilities. I filled my time working; working to create an identity that my father had failed to supply. The truth is that I didn't know who I was."

I know how this infectious thinking can grab a hold of a person. A few years ago I was caught up in the physical fitness craze. I worked out five or six days a week. I would get up from out of bed at 2am in the morning and be at the gym by 2:30am. I would work out feverishly for an hour and head off to work to spend my day drinking protein shakes and eating chicken; lots and lots of chicken!

At one point in my journey to become the next Mr. Universe I discovered a way to promote more growth that I was able to achieve from just lifting. It was a legal bodybuilding supplement and I swallowed (literally) its praises from the "fitness experts" hook, line, and sinker.

It was at the height of my "fitness" that I discovered the truth about what I was doing to my body. I was lifting enormous amounts of weight. I had a size 33 waist, and I didn't have a shirt that I could wear without having to roll up the sleeves for comfort's sake. I was in the best shape of my life; even better than during my athletic days in High School, so I thought.

But it all came crashing down in a moment. I was, as usual, at the gym trying once again to sculpt myself into perfection, and my son Chase happened to be with me that day. I was in all my glory, and Chase was amazed!

In my rush to show off, however, I did not warm up. Another man, one of the largest men I have ever seen in my life, was at the gym that Saturday morning. Chase was in awe and I was jealous. I threw 275lbs (124.7 kilograms) on the bar and began to bench press. I pushed the bar up once and felt a curious twinge in my left shoulder. I went to push the weight up once more and that's when it happened. My rotator cuff tore. You talk about pain; I thought for sure that I had been shot from the sound and the snap of the ligament. My arm just hung there virtually lifeless.

What was wrong? I had lifted more than that through the years! I should have had no problems. Little did I know that the supplement I was taking was destroying my joints. The doctor told me that I had "made myself stronger than what God had intended and designed me personally to be". It was an artificial strength. I had, in a sense, become fake.

This is a common outcome to most situations like mine. What seems to be a harmless part of our life becomes our very downfall. Our ruin, if you will. Too often people set out to create a certain kind of reality or image to show those around them only to have people eventually find out that it is anything but true. We see the stories every night on the news: lives lost, marriages destroyed, children abused, and religion misused. One recent study showed that the average American, through all demographics, including religious considerations, is telling 2.5 lies a day. Shocking? Unfortunately not! We are living in that kind of world. What we need is a good dose of truth.

I lived for many years with an identity crisis. Childhood abuse had created a large void of identity in my life. I tried to use sports, music, and even religion to create an identity. I was faithful in my church attendance. I was a hard worker in athletics. I worked overtime on my musical abilities. I filled my time working; working to create an identity that my father had failed to supply. The truth is that I didn't know who I was.

I have lived long enough now that I know that I am not alone. Many Christians, Christians with all kinds of backgrounds, are struggling with this issue. Maybe your parent or parents haven't given you the proper kind of example to imitate. Maybe you weren't raised at all in church and you may feel that you sort of winging it right now. Take heart, you're not alone. I have some good news, really good news! Our Heavenly Father has not left us without an identity.

Our Father in Heaven wants us to know who we are in Him, and that He hasn't missed a moment in our lives. He was there all along. He saw the accomplishment you worked so hard for, and He was proud of you. He also saw the tears. He saw the times that you questioned whether or not He was even there. The whole time our Heavenly Fathers' sovereignty has governed the outcome. He lovingly moved on our behalf seeing from eternity what we will someday become in His Son.

You see He loves us with a love that we will only begin to fathom one day in eternity. His love for us is so intense that it can't be measured from our human imaginations. He loves us so much that He wanted to tell us who we are to Him; like a parent who picks their child up on their knee and rehearses their love and encouragement to them time and again so that in times of uncertainty they may recount the words spoken from the heart of that parent who loves them unconditionally. Oh, that we could see and sense the love of our Father in Heaven, and the passion that He has for each of us. Listen to these words!

"The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by his love; He will exult over you with loud singing." (Zephaniah 3:17, ESV)

He is in our midst, our very own heart; He never has left us! Isn't this great! Look what that verse says, meditate on it. He rejoices over us, yes even over me! He quiets our trembling hearts, our busy minds, our confused situations with His love. Then He goes even farther; look closely, He sings loudly with praise!!! God Himself sings! He loves us! He loves us! He loves us! As the song say, "The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen could ever tell."

We must then agree with His word by saying that we are special, the apple of his eye. See how Galatians 4.6 just pulls it all together: "And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!'" (Galatians 4:6, ESV)

Abba is an interesting word. It comes from the first sound that a baby makes. Say it a few times. Our Heavenly Father wants our first words to be to Him Our God, our Father, has adopted us, and we can call on Him in the same way a baby speaks and seeks for its' parents. This is so beautiful.

Who am I? I am loved. I am cared for. I am special, uniquely me. I am His son (daughter). I am what His word says I am and nothing else. We shouldn't allow others to convince of anything different, for this is what Satan, in the believer's life, seeks to steal, kill, and destroy.

I want to close this article with the words from one of my favorite hymns of all time. Sing it if you know it!

Amazing grace will always be my song of praise
For it was grace that brought me liberty.
I can not know just why He came to love me so;
He looked beyond my faults and saw my needs.

I shall forever lift mine eyes to Calvary
To view the cross where Jesus died for me.
How marvelous that grace that caught my falling soul;
He looked beyond my faults and saw my needs.

Chris Thompson is a church minister who lives in Dayton, Ohio, in the US.

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