Releasing Your Identity

Mark 1:16-20; Matthew 4:18–22; Luke 5:1–11; John 1:35-42

Perhaps at some point earlier in life, these four young men had other dreams of what they would grow up to be, but they were definitely fisherman now. They fished for a living as part of the family business and were probably doing fairly well at it since they had hired men too. But Jesus called them to follow and they left – their tools of the trade, their families and employees, and their identity – to become what Jesus had for them. Jesus promised to take their identity as fishermen and transform it into fishing for people. They had learned to cast their nets and to keep them in good repair in their boats; Jesus would teach them to cast the Gospel and to keep their faith in good repair while in relationship with Him. Like many, they would be tripped up in pursuit of position (Mark 10:35-45) and due to their own pride (John 13:3-10 and 13:33-38). But as they walked daily with Jesus they learned more and more for themselves, and taught others, that there identity was no longer in their roles and tasks, but now flowed from their relationship with Jesus (1 Peter 2:10).

Question 1: When you meet someone new, what descriptors do you use to identify who you are?

Question 2: What elements of your identity do you struggle most to release to God for His purposes?

​Challenge: Identify one element of your identity that God may be desiring to work on or through (as a spouse, parent, child, coworker, student, coach, mentor, neighbor, friend, etc.) and then actively listen and look for how God is molding who you are to be more like Him today.