Identity is important. We have lots of identifiers – names, addresses, family connections, jobs, and physical characteristics. But identity speaks to your heart. It is who you are at the core. It defines the most important things about you. It guides how you interact with the world.
In the process of preparing my kids for the day, it became important to give them an identity touch point. A marker to bring them back to center and remind them of who they are. As they got ready to scoot out the door, I asked them one more question – “Who do you belong to?”
The answer to that question is important. It marks the address of your heart, the boundaries of your life, and the essential truths about your purpose and direction. The world encourages us to answer that we belong to no one. We are our own person. We define our own destiny. We make our own choices and move in our own direction.
God wants us to answer that we belong to Jesus. When our identities are rooted in the person of Jesus, it opens the door to endless possibilities, overwhelming abundance, and deep joy. Knowing our identity roots us in His presence, grounds us in His love, and defines how we are to walk in the world.
My last words to my kids each morning resonate within the question, “Who do you belong to?” As they answer “Jesus”, I simply say four words – “Then act like it.” I want their behavior to flow from their identity. I want their choices connected to who they are and Who they belong to. I want the decisions they make, the paths they walk, and the perspective they bring to the day to be defined, shaped, guided, and inspired by Jesus.
My Jesus Resolution today is to remember that I belong to Jesus. The world may make other claims on my heart. It may grab at my time, call for my attention, and try to influence how I see myself in the mirror. But I belong to Jesus. He is the standard for my actions, the wisdom for my choices, and the direction of my heart. My identity is rooted in Jesus. He is where I belong, where I best fit. Who do you belong to?
Casandra Martin 
Amen and thank you.