Growing up on the field, I always had a problem with my identity. Was I North African, where I was born? Well, I only lived there for four months, so absolutely not. Was I French, where I grew up? Even though I lived there for eleven years and went to public school, I never really assimilated into the culture and customs of the land. So, no. Was I American, the nationality on my passport? If so, then why did I always feel like an outsider whenever I was in the States?

The notion of our identity has become a prominent political and philosophical issue. Identity politics considers our identity to be the most critical factor in classifying human beings. But even without this extreme view, people are nonetheless obsessed with discovering who they are.

Knowing this, God wants to make sure that His followers see themselves correctly, and above all, He wants us to base our identity on Him. Yes, our physical lineage and geographical location matter, but as believers, we have been adopted into God’s family, and He’s given us His righteousness. As the Apostle Paul wrote, we are new creations.

There are many different aspects to our identity in Christ, but I would like to focus on only one. In 1 Peter 1:15-16, Peter calls us to be holy in everything we do because God is holy.

What does this mean? The basic definition of the word “holy” is “separated.” In other words, the moment we believed in Christ, we were separated from sin and consecrated to God. We have been dedicated to him, which is what “sacred” means.

The more we see ourselves as set apart for God, the more we’ll want to become like Him, and the less we’ll feel at home in the world. If our identity is entirely based on our relationship with God—not on our nationality, career, family, or anything else—how can it not impact our lives so that we reflect His glory?

So, it turns out that I have an identity after all—and it’s found in God.