Who am I?
I talk and write about podcasting a lot. It’s a passion. And I see a tremendous opportunity for you and me in pursuing podcasting as a way to make our messages mobile for a world that’s always on the go.
But today the topic is something else.
It’s about who I am—and who you are.
Roll Tide
Yes, I’m an Alabama fan.
My wife and I both went to the University of Alabama. We met there. We fell in love there. We were married there—literally, our wedding was on campus in Reese Phifer Hall.
And I was so disappointed when we lost the national championship to Clemson.
So what I’m about to write about might be surprising.
Trevor Lawrence, the freshman quarterback for Clemson, said something that encouraged and inspired me.
Of course, after football games, you often hear players and coaches thanking God first before talking about their role in the game.
Trevor did that but in a way that got my attention. He said,
“Football is important to me, obviously, but it is not my life,” he said. “It is not like the biggest thing in my life. My faith is…. I put my identity in what Christ says, who He thinks I am and who I know that He says I am.”
Trevor Lawrence in the Clemson Insider
Who is Trevor Lawrence?
Is he a football player? Yes.
Is he a quarterback? Yes.
Is he a winning quarterback? Yes.
Who is he really? He is who Christ says he is.
His identity is not based on what he does. His identity is who Christ says he is.
I’ve been thinking about something similar lately, and hearing his comments after my favorite team lost the national championship helped me clarify a few things in my own life.
Who is Jason Norris?
Yes, I’m a Christian. I have been a believer in Jesus since two days before my 13th birthday, which was a long time ago. I have not been a perfect follower of Christ, but my faith is in him.
Am I a podcaster? Yes.
Am I a writer? Yes.
Am I a creative thinker who loves exploring, learning, and coming up with new ideas? Yes. At least I like to think I am.
But who am I really? I am who Christ says I am.
Are you what you do?
James Clear said something like that in his book Atomic Habits.
Caveat: I haven’t finished listening to the book. Perhaps he expresses that differently later on, but as of right now, that seems to be what he’s saying.
James seems to be saying that by deciding who you want to be, you can start creating little habits that lead you toward becoming that person. But the gist of it seems to be that who you are is based on what you do.
I am listening to his book and attempting to apply the concepts and strategies he shares, but I believe “you are what you do” is shortsighted.
I am who Christ says I am. He made me.
And despite my choices in life (some wise, some not), I know my identity because I trust him and what he says about me.
In fact, I hope the principles of Atomic Habits help me to live out my faith in Christ better. I hope when people see me and get to know me, they actually can see Christ through me because of what I do.
But even if my “doing” doesn’t represent Christ perfectly, my identity is intact.
Who am I? I am who Christ says I am.
Who are you?
