Many of the testimonies centered around the theme of identity so let me just share with you guys a little of what I've learnt.
There was this lady who's a missionary, and she and her husband recently returned from a one-and-a-half year mission trip from Thailand because her mother fell terminally ill with cancer. She felt so lost and upset because not only did she have to deal with losing someone she loved dearly, she also felt so clueless about what to do next, and didn't know her plans for the future as a missionary. But when she was sharing this with a friend a few days back, God reminded her of a verse in Jeremiah 9:23-24 -
"Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord."
More often than not, we find ourselves tying our identity to the things we do, whether work or ministry. So it becomes like 'Amy, the missionary', or 'so and so, the youth service guitarist/cell leader/student/what-have-you'. Yes, you get the picture. And often times becuase of this, we get upset or disappointed over ourselves or God when things don't turn out the way we want them to, or when we don't see the fruits of our labour. We become too performance-driven and get caught up with results and outcomes.
But we must always remember that our work and ministry don't belong to us. They are from God, and they belong to God. Ultimately, God is the One in control of every situation. So sometimes, we wonder why we mug our heads off but receive only mediocre grades, or share the gospel to a hundred friends but none are receptive to it. And we start to think, "Man, I think I'm a stupid kid" or "Am I that lousy an evangelist?" and you begin to doubt your capability as a student or ministry leader, and wonder why God doesn't seem to be helping you or blessing you.
But we must know that God is more concerned with moulding our character and building up our faith for his plan and purpose. Results are secondary. He is the One who gave you your education, work, or ministry, and remember that He can take it away anytime whenever He thinks necessary. So don't tie your identity to your 'current occupation'. Rather, your identity should simply be a child of God. Another guy shared this example yesterday: When your parents first knew they were expecting you, they were already filled with joy and love for you even when you were still in your mom's womb. They didn't know how you'd look like, the bad habits you'd have, whether you'd do well in school, or whether you'd be naughty or nice. But they loved you all the same. What more about our Father in Heaven? He loves you just as you are, and He's more concerned with bringing you up as a good and faithful child, rather than making sure you score a GPA of 4.0. And like jars of clay, we are simply vessels constructed with a sole purpose of giving all the attention to the treasure inside it - giving God a 100 percent of the glory. So why worry about making your jar so attractive and fancy? It's all about God's work in you.
