Written by: Carleigh Short

"You took off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires; you are being renewed in the spirit of your minds; you put on the new self, the one created according to God's likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth." Ephesians 4:22-24

Now I don't know about you but that's some pretty high standards, and when someone asks me to describe myself those aren't always the first words that come to mind. When Paul was writing this passage in Ephesians, he is explaining to the church the new freedom and identity that they have in Christ. He is explaining the identity that following Jesus offers compared to who we were before we knew Him. It sounds incredible… righteous, pure, renewed. So why don't I always see myself that way? The answer to that question is simple… my identity has often been rooted elsewhere. Whether that be as an athlete, a student, a physician assistant… fill in the blank with whatever "title" you find yourself living under.

"Who are you?" Such a simple question, but have you ever taken a deep dive into it? Full transparency, this is probably one of the hardest questions I have had to answer over and over again throughout different seasons of my life. As is common with most athletes I presume, I struggled with my identity being caught up in my sport for a lot of my life. I was always Carleigh, the girl who played basketball. This is how most of us are known around campus right? It's how we introduce ourselves to our professors on the first day of each semester to make sure we can keep up with content while we travel. It's how boosters know us, how the little kids that come to games see us. It's what we're associated with constantly. This is pretty normal I would say, BUT somehow over time a simple introduction turns into a core belief about yourself. When you have a bad game/match/race, you have a bad day/week. When you have a good game/match/race, you're on top of the world. There is beauty in competition and it's great to be invested in your game/team, but why does it dictate how everything else in your life goes? Just because you have a bad day on the court/field/track doesn't mean the rest of your life is falling apart, so why does it feel like it? You might have your sport more attached to your identity than you think. I was there, multiple times. Honestly, I'm still there every once in a while in my career and I have to remind myself of the things I'm about to share with you.

You are so much more than your sport. You are so much more than the score at the end of a game/match/meet/race. You are so much more than the playing time you get. If you're like I was, you're reading this saying, "yeah, yeah enough with the clichés." You're right, they are clichés, but what I've learned is that clichés are clichés for a reason. Let me tell you, God backs this one up. His Word is full of examples of how He sees us, and how much we mean to Him. Colossians 3:12 tells us we're chosen. Ephesians 1:3 tells us that we're blessed. Ephesians 2:10 calls us His handiwork. Acts 13:38 reminds us that we are forgiven. Corinthians 3:12 tells us we should be bold. Genesis 1:27 tells us that He created us in His image. Matthew 5:14 tells us we are a light of the world. Ephesians 1:3-8 reminds us that we have been chosen by God and adopted as His children. So many more examples are given, there is simply not enough time or space in a short devotional to pull everything out of the Bible that God tell us we are. Your identity lies in Christ, for He is the One that knit you together in your mother's womb. He knows everything that has happened in your life, and everything that is going to happen. He has never left you, even when you have strayed from Him. He is the only one who knows who you are at your essence, your very core, because He is the one who formed it.

So where does this leave you? Do you have to push aside your sport and forget it all together? NO! God has given you the gift of your sport. He has blessed you with the talent, work ethic, and passion to get you where you are today. On the surface, you are a Lipscomb student athlete. You go to Lipscomb University, a Christian University in Nashville, TN. You play a sport, and I probably don't know you personally, but I know Lipscomb athletics enough to say you're pretty good at your sport too. You have an amazing opportunity to embrace your identity in Christ and use your sport as a stage to magnify Christ in how you play, how you speak, how you act, and how you react. You'll be amazed about how much your perspective on life, the game, and yourself changes when you root yourself in Christ. You are worthy. You are chosen. You are beautifully and wonderfully made. Brothers and sisters, I see you for who you are. Do you?
I encourage you to sit and reflect on these questions.

1. Where is your identity rooted?
2. What are the first three things you think of when someone asks you who you are?
3. How can you use your identity in Christ to benefit your team/community?

Team, if there's one thing I can encourage you with, it's to slow down and root your identity in the Lord. He is the only foundation that can hold you firm throughout your entire life. Even when everything else seems to be slipping away, follow your roots back to the Lord, I promise you He will never fail you.