I am australian. I am daughter. I am grand-daughter. I am sister. I am friend. I am youth leader. I am uni student. I am receptionist. I am thinker. I am dreamer. I am fighter.
I am loved. I am joyful. I am at peace.

These are some of the things that I am. These are some of the things that make me me. To alot of people, I guess, you could find my identity in these labels and in these titles that make up Samantha Louise. But here is where the problem lies, so often, we as people identify ourselves by what we do or who we are with, and yes, even our ministry of involvement.
What happens though if you lose all and are left with nothing? Does that mean you lose your identity?
It is a dangerous place to walk when the foundation of who you are and what you live for comes from what you do and who you associate with. Often when I meet people and I ask "So, tell me about yourself..?" their response would be "Oh I'm a doctor" or "I'm a student..." or "I'm currently un-employed."
What if you labeled yourself and found your identity on something that wasn't positive?
Back in the days my foundation and my labels would come from... I am trash. I am a piece of meat. I am depressed. Was my identity postive? No. And even if my identity was positive, would it be wise to build upon who I am on these facts? No.
If we continue to label ourselves by the things that the world says we are, we are going to run around in circles like a headless chook. A wise man, Jesus, once said.... "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat againt that house, and it fell with a great crash."(Matthew 7:24-27)

Let me ask you... What happens if you lose everything you owned? What happens if you lost your mother and father tragically? What happens if your friend dies suddenly in a car accident? What happens if you lose your job, lose your home, lose everything and you are forced to leave the country, leave your people, and go some place else? Who will you be? Do you think of yourself too much in what you know? What are your foundations? Where are you building your house?

I tried finding my identity in my achievements. It didn't work. It lasted for a moment but soon enough I got to that place and I realised I had to find my identity in something else, in something greater. I had to stand firm on the rock. Your identity needs to be found in Christ.

This is who I am, and I will shout it from the rooftops, because this is who I am!

I am nothing else. I'm nobody but His. I am Christ's. I'm His daughter. Princess. His friend. He is my Saviour, He is who I should build my life upon. Not on ministry. Not on what I do or how I get by. Not on my relationships.

When you build your life on this, no matter what happens, no matter what you lose, you will still be able to stand and fight because your identity would not have been stolen. For, your identity is found only and truly in Him.