My Roles

Wife. Mother. Daughter. Friend. Writer. Editor. Teacher. Runner. Cyclist. Reader. Homemaker.

These are my roles. They fluctuate with the changing seasons of my life. Some rolls come and go. None of my rolls define me. They are the avenues for expressing my identity.

“Do not let the roles you play in life make you forget who you are.” (Roy T. Bennett)

My Physical Identity

Height. Weight. Sex. Shoe size. Fingerprint. Hair color. Eye color. Speed. Ability.

These are what make up my physical identity. Some never change while others fluctuate. Even though there’s a permanence to my physical identity, it still doesn’t define my true identity.

“For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” (2 Corinthians 5:1)

My True Identity

My role and my physical identity significantly impact how my life plays out. Yet, they are still only tools and expressions for my true identity. What I believe about my true identity directs the roles I live and the way I use my physical attributes and abilities.

“You’re a good, good Father. It’s who You are. It’s who You are. It’s who You are. And I am loved by You. It’s who I am. It’s who I am. It’s who I am.” (Good Father by Chris Tomlin)

Roles fluctuate. Physical selves change and fade. My true identity, the one rooted and grounded in the goodness of God the Father, remains true forever. Nothing anyone does or says can change my true identity.

Scripture tells me a great deal about my true identity. I am:

My true identity gives me confidence. It makes me want to be brave. Grounding myself in this identity affects how I live out my roles and how well I take care of my physical self. The identity given me by God determines my focus and shapes my everyday reality.