What is your identity?

Who are you? What do your closest friends associate with you? I have been thinking about this as I pray and read in my quiet time with the Lord. Recently family that I had not seen in many years came from the east coast and we caught up on the past 15 years. I was talking with some of them about what I liked to do as far as a hobby and surfing came up. I don't consider myself a great surfer, yet when they heard I surfed, it raised curiosity and my position with them. Funny thing about this is my parents also mentioned to them that I was a big time surfer. Is that my identity? Do I want to be associated with being a surfer?

This got me thinking about the different positions that people in the Bible held. Jesus was a carpenter, Peter was a fisherman, Matthew was a tax collector, but were they looked upon with this identity? Before they knew Jesus and laid down what they did to follow Him, yes I think they did hold these identities. It makes me wonder if my identity is where it should be. When people meet me and get to know me, will they know me as a surfer or something else? Or that guy who is sold out to Jesus?

I want people to remember me as someone who is wholeheartedly seeking the Lord. Surfer? Maybe. Jesus used many skill sets as examples (or parables) to relate to others about the Kingdom of Heaven. So surfing has its place; using it to relate life to one of faith following after the Lord, seeking His wisdom. But that is not what I want my identity to be solely. I want people to know that I love the Lord with all my strength and might. I want them to know that the greatest purpose for living is to please the Lord, glorifying Him in all we do. Of course this comes back to who we are, what we do. But do not to let WHAT you do supercede WHO you are; let WHO you are direct WHAT you do.