Identity Theft

At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes,” says the Lord.

– Zephaniah 3:20

Identity theft is a crime where fraud or deception is used to obtain a victim’s personal or sensitive information — such as their name or credit card number. There were 1.1 million reported ID thefts last year. And credit card fraud, the most common type, enables thieves to either steal from an existing credit card account or open a new one in the victim’s name.

The immense damage from these crimes can take years to repair. But there’s another kind of identity theft that’s much more serious. It’s one that robs its victims of the abundant life they should develop and enjoy as Christ-followers.

How does this happen?

The Bible tells us that when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we become a new creation. But far too many people have unknowingly assumed false identities through the negative messages they received early in life. A common example is a parent, who constantly tells his or her child that “they’ll never amount to anything,” they’re “not smart enough” or they “don’t have what it takes to make it.”

Repeated early and often enough, these fictions can become reality. Moreover, they gradually become embedded in our thinking, only to blind us to the reality of our true worth and potential through Jesus. We then end up living out our lives trying to be someone (or something) that God never intended us to be.

How can we take back our rightful identities?

It starts with a spiritual reality check. First, let's look back at our past and identify and examine the negative messages we received early in life. We can then consider their source. Can we honestly say that these painful “words of wisdom” are true, or is it actually the case that we have God-given talents and abilities? It’s no wonder that so many Christ-followers fail to meet their potential. If fed a constant diet of half-truths, distortions, and falsehoods, even a PhD with an excellent academic record might perceive their impressive accomplishments as mediocre at best.

The truth is that God doesn’t look at you and me through such clouded, distorted lenses. He knew us before we were born and knows the plans he has for us. And even better — with our eternal inheritance assured, our true identity emerges: We're adopted sons and daughters of the King! As the apostle Paul tells us through the book of 1 Corinthians:

“But as it is written, ‘What no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived’ — God has prepared these things for those who love him.”