Who Told You Who You Are?

Who Told You Who You Are? Keeping Jesus at the Center of Your Identity

In a world that encourages compartmentalization, where you're one person at work, another at home, and someone else entirely at church, it can feel natural to adapt and adjust who you are based on the space you're in. But as followers of Jesus, we're called to more than flexible personas—we're called to consistency rooted in Christ.

You can have your compartments if you must. Wear a different hat at work, act a little looser with friends, speak more reverently at church. But in every one of those spaces, here's the challenge: Is Jesus at the center of each compartment?

Because if He isn’t, someone else is.

No Other Gods

The first commandment still speaks loud and clear: "You shall have no other gods before Me." (Exodus 20:3). That means in your work life, your marriage, your friendships, your downtime, and your decisions—Jesus must be central. Not peripheral. Not tacked on when convenient. Center.

David, in Psalm 139, wrestled with this reality: "Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?" (vv.7-10). The answer? Nowhere. There is no compartment in which God doesn’t already reside. So why not acknowledge Him there?

Who's Defining You?

Much of our identity is shaped early: a parent’s offhand comment, a comparison from a teacher, a nickname from a peer. We carry those words and experiences with us. Psychologists call it self-concept—the story you tell yourself about who you are. That story shapes your self-worth.

But what if those voices aren’t telling the truth?

God doesn’t just want to influence your identity—He wants to define it. Genesis tells us we are made in His image (Genesis 1:27). Psalm 139 says we are fearfully and wonderfully made, knit together in the womb on purpose. Isaiah 43 says we are called by name. 1 Peter 2 says we are chosen, royal, holy, and set apart. And in 2 Corinthians 5, Paul reminds us that we are made new in Christ.

A Sculptor at Work

There’s an old story about Michelangelo when asked how he carved the statue of David. He supposedly said, "I simply removed everything that wasn't David."

That’s what Jesus does with us. He chips away everything that doesn't reflect His design in you.

But many of us have started identifying with the things the world has spoken over us—labels, dysfunctions, disorders. We wear them like name tags, sometimes to the point where we no longer expect transformation. But Jesus didn’t die so we could stay the same.

He loves us as we are, yes. But He loves us too much to leave us there.

Who Told You That?

In Genesis 3:11, after Adam and Eve sinned, God asked Adam, "Who told you that you were naked?" Adam had always been uncovered, but something changed—he listened to another voice. A lie. And it rewrote his identity.

Many of us are still believing lies today: You’re not good enough. You’re broken. You’re too far gone. You don’t matter.But the same God who covered Adam now covers you in grace. He invites you back to the center.

The Fig Tree Moment

In John 1:43–51, Jesus meets a man named Nathanael. Before Nathanael ever followed Him, before he said or did anything noteworthy, Jesus spoke into his identity: "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!" (v.47). Nathanael is stunned: "How do you know me?"

Jesus responds, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."

That was all Nathanael needed. One moment of being seen. One encounter of identity spoken from the Savior. It changed everything.

You don’t need to prove yourself before God defines you. He sees you. He knows you. And He calls you according to what He placed in you, not what others have labeled you.

Come and See

Philip didn’t argue Nathanael into faith. He simply said, "Come and see." That’s our job too. Invite people to encounter Jesus. Bring them into spaces where the Spirit is moving. Let them experience the voice that reshapes identity.

One Last Thought

Jesus doesn’t want to be a part of your life. He wants to be the center of it. Of your identity. Of your relationships. Of your work. Of your story.

Because the moment you let Him define you is the moment you discover who you really are.

Let’s keep Jesus at the center.

And let’s invite others to come and see the One who truly knows them.

Looking for a Spirit-filled community that values identity in Christ? Plan Your Visit to The Gathering in Prosper, TX.

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