Embroidered T-Shirt. . .My Identity

We talk a lot about our identity at my church.

Today's sermon was about how we tend to forget who we are and how we need to remind ourselves constantly that we have been called to be sons and daughters of God.

That made me think back to a devotional I heard in college where the devotion leader read us Colossians 3:1-4 

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."

She then showed us a little piece of paper that said "my life" on it and then folded it up. She pulled out another slightly larger piece of paper that said "Christ" on it and wrapped that around the first piece. Then, she pulled out a bigger piece of paper that had "God" written on it and folded that around the first two. She told us, "You need to remember that you aren't just covered once, but God has you hidden in Christ." 

I've sat through hundreds of devotionals, but I've never forgotten that one. It's only really started to make sense to me since all this talk about identity.

My identity is in God, but more than that, it's hidden in Christ. My life is hidden so that the enemy can't find it, and Christ and I are both in God so the enemy can't even come close to it. That means that I don't have to live for the things of this world that will eventually fall apart and/or be forgotten. I am dead to this world and am alive in Christ who is eternal. I need to remember who I am and who I have been set apart to be. My life is hidden with Christ in God, and I have the promise that when Christ comes back, I will appear with Him in glory.

In the meantime, I thought about this embroidery as an interesting illustration of this whole concept.

(I wish it were a little bigger, but my machine only does 4"x4".)

The End