Have you ever found yourself in any of these situations? 

You visit your passport country and realize that you have changed and feel lost and unknown amongst people you have known for a long time.

You just had your first child, and you realized that the person you were before is somewhere hidden in that small wardrobe with the pre-pregnancy clothes you had hoped to be wearing.

You have repatriated and it is a struggle because what you were doing, you no longer do.

Your kids are grown, living in their passport country or other parts of the world, and you find yourself wondering who you are and what your purpose is.

Identity crisis is real.  

We know that our identity should not be in what we do or based on our relationships, but it is so hard not to grasp those ideas and cling to them. They are a part of our identity. They give a definitive answer that is clear and easy for others to understand.  

We know that when we became Christians, our old self was put aside, and we were given a new identity (Col. 3:3-4). We walked in that identity and many of us probably find ourselves in the host country we are in because of our identity in Christ.  

Colossians 1:23a is pointing to the fact that Christ has reconciled us to God (Col. 1:22). Our faith should be “established and firm, not moved from the hope held in the gospel” (NIV). “Established and firm” are words that were used for building a firm foundation. Christ is the cornerstone of our foundation of faith (Eph. 2:20). Our identity is not in who we are or what we do, but in who Jesus is and what He did. I think back to when Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say I am?” (Matt. 16:15; Mark 8:29; Luke 9:20). I used to think that was a funny question to ask those who left everything to follow Him. I would think that they, of all people, would have known who Jesus was. But they did not fully comprehend it. And I don’t think we do either, because this same question rings true today for us. Our identity is not based on what we do, our ministries, or who are parents, children, or spouses are. No, our identity is based on who we think Jesus is - because everything we do flows out from that belief. I think that God allows us to have these “identity crisis” moments to remind us of that truth. To reflect on who we believe Jesus is and then to realign our life to daily live it out.