Dwell Pastor Conrad Hilario is out with a new book Identity: Seeing Yourself through God’s Eyes. You can pre-order it now. Conrad shares more about the book and what prompted him to write it:
What is the book about?
It's a month-long devotional. Each chapter offers reflections on one aspect of our new identity and can be read in place of your daily devotional. I would describe it as a companion to Walking in Victory, which provided the "how" of spiritual growth. This new book on identity is the "what" of spiritual growth. Walking in Victory explains how God uses our new identity to grow us spiritually; whereas Identity explores what that new identity is.
You say our current culture has an identity crisis. How is this manifested?
I'm talking about the confusion many feel about who they are and why they matter. This is especially true among young people today. Many young people are trying to create an identity from social differences, such as race or ethnicity. For a growing number of them, identity is determined by one’s gender or sexual orientation. Others build a sense of self from political or social causes. More often people build their identity around things like achievement, relationships, wealth and possessions.
The trouble with constructing an identity on any of these things is that it can topple at any moment. It’s based on comparisons, or it balances on things that can be taken from you. It will always leave you wondering, “Am I enough?”
How does the Bible address and resolve this crisis?
God solved this complex problem with a simple solution: He’s given us a new identity. Many of the things we root our identity in are attempts to attain a sense of significance and security of feeling loved.
Who we are in Christ satisfies the tyrannical drive to define ourselves by our performance or people’s approval. Only God can give you the significance you’re striving to attain. Your new identity in Christ gives you value and worth—independent of your success or failure. You can quiet the voice that wakes you in the middle of the night and asks, “How will I know I’m enough?”
You can pre-order Identity: Seeing Yourself Through God's Eyes now. It will be released in mid-November.