Spelling Mishaps

     Have you ever had an entire conversation based upon something that someone said incorrectly, or something that you thought that they said? For instance, your brother says, "Remember that time we ate raw eggs?", and you hear, "Remember that time we ate frog legs?". Both would make for a very interesting conversation, but it turns one way because of what you thought he said rather than what he actually said. I have had this happen to me many times. Something similar happened this morning in Sunday school, only it wasn't someone talking, but rather writing.
     My dad teaches the adult Sunday school, and he was talking this morning about finding our identity in Christ, and he wrote the word "identity" on the white board. Actually he wrote the word "indentity" on the board, which actually isn't a word, but we all knew what he meant. Nobody spoke to alert him of his spelling error, and so the word stayed up there in bright green letters. As I continued to look at it, that got me thinking.
     For believers, that spelling of the word is really more appropriate. The world's message to finding your identity is to find it within yourself. "Find yourself" and "Be who you are" are common inspirational phrases that I have heard. Your identity is found in "I"dentity. You are the only person you can trust and you must believe in yourself in order to accomplish greatness.
     On the contrary, Christians do not find their identity in themselves but rather outside of themselves. You are who you are because of what you are in - the family of God, Christ's kingdom, the royal priesthood, holy nation. The Christian's identity is an "In"dentity. Colossians 3:3 says, "For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." Our life is no longer our own, and our identity is no longer our own.
     My dad continued to talk about living as children of God - the believer's identity. It makes no sense to just say "I am a child." You cannot take any real pride or meaning in that because everyone is a child. But if you say, "I am a child of God.", that means something altogether more important and wonderful. To be God's child means everything for your life. What matters is not who you are (a child), but what you are in (Christ), and what you are a part of (His family).
     Praise be to God that as believers we know who we are, because Christ paid the ultimate price for us to be adopted as sons and daughters into His marvelous kingdom! Adopt more children into the family each and every day, Father!