Hello Hopefuls! Middle o’ the week to you! Here we are rolling into November and the holiday season will soon be upon us. We have a couple of Sundays left in our current sermon series called Don’t Waste Your Work. It has been a good series to think about a “theology of work.” I have had the chance to talk with a number of folks who have shared about some of their work experiences and how they have impacted their perspective on identity, which we looked at last Sunday.

Often we do identify ourselves with the work we do in life. It is hard sometimes not to do that, especially if we really love the job or work or volunteering we are doing. And yet, our true identity is not our jobs or our work or even our gifts and abilities. Our true identity is found in Christ who dwells in us.

As we learned on Sunday, scripture offers us a different view of our identity… we are “new creations,” “children of God,” “masterpieces of God’s creation.” The fact is that our true identity is in Christ and that will always be who we really are. So it is important to carry our true identity into the work we do in our lives and remember that we are not our successes or our failures.

As you work and serve this week, remember that you are a child of God. And take the opportunity to get to know someone through a different route than asking them, “what do you do?” Ask them what brings them joy or what gives them life. Invite someone to think about their identity differently and not wrap it up in the job or work they do. And I hope you remain encouraged that we all are God’s children, made uniquely for the work and mission God has for us individually and as a congregation. Bless you and see you all soon!