I was born a Muslim and later changed to Christianity. I am passionate about Christ and the Christian way of life just as any devout Christian out there but there is one question I still get asked-a lot of times.
Any time I get asked my name, I always know that is not the end of it. I have very strong Islamic names the kind that when stopped by police in traffic, they get motivated to make extra checks in the car.
But that still not what irks me the most. Christians have the expectation that if I profess Christ, I should change my names to John, Joseph or Gabriel kind of names. It makes me ask a very important question, what is your identity?
A name can never identify your. Well to the extend that it will help pull you a part from a crowd, a name is not your identity. With growing population, we have seen millions of instances where two people who have zero chances of meeting – maybe ever, share the very same names!
When looking for your identity, you have to dig deeper than what is in a name. Dig even further deeper to identify yourself.
Your identity is who you are. It is the things you stand for. The morals that make you. The principles you live by. That is your identity.
When you become a Christian, or while living as a Christian forget the name. Forget the Church. Forget the fellowship as a Church family. All that collectively will not identify you.
A whole Church may cow down some day and decided to allow gay marriages. But will you water down your principles and morals?
Everyday we face numerous challenges. We fight temptations. We meet a multitude of people and make so many decisions in our life time. Do these challenges falter your principles? Do the temptations tear at your morals? Do the decisions you make stick by your principles?
As you seek to a more close relationship with God, focus on this today. What is your identity. Does it need to change?
