Identity Theft

I saw a dude on TV recently who had one of the crazy stories I'd ever heard. Now this guy didn't know it but when he was a kid, is estranged dad had been living it up...buying homes...business... cars... trips...etc... on his social security number. Well when he grew up, not knowing what "good ol' dad" had been doing all these years...he was shocked to discover he couldn't get a credit card. He was in college, good student, with a good job...BUT he discovered when he tried for his first credit card that... "he" had a prison record, a bankruptcy, several default loans, lots of bad debt...the list went on and on. His identity had been stolen, and his life had become hell because of it! I often think of us humans...how often life seems like hell to us. So many struggle with what life is about? Why am I here? Is this "rat race" all life is meant to be? One of the keys to life is knowing "who you are"...your identity. Yet so many have had their "identity" stolen by so many things...their past...their families...their political party...their church denomination...their school...their economic status...their business. Yet none of those things define who we are...they do give a glimpse into "what we do" or perhaps "why we do what we do", but they do not define our identity. Jesus made it clear that we were created with a unique identity...one centered in God's image. We have an identity summed up in the word "relationship". We have not been created to live life alone. Jesus said that all of the commandments, God's Law, all the prophets, everything hung on 2 essential things: we were created to love God with our whole heart, mind & soul...AND to love others as we love ourselves. Our identity, created by God, in His likeness, is for "relationship"...with Him and with others! Our identity in life is to be a lover of God and people! As we love God, He deposits more and more of Himself into us (God is love, the bible says) ...and that love should in turn become more and more of who we are, and flow out of us to those around us. This is so vital Jesus said "everything else" hangs on it. So often we are defined by "what we do"...often forgetting "who we are". That is why the bible says that if we do even miracles...without love...it is a noisy gong and a clanging cymbal (annoying really). That is why we need to guard against allowing "what we do" to become our "identity"...if we do we'll be frustrated...and those very things will become hell to us. But when we center in on our God given "identity"...a person created to love God and allow His love to flow through you to others in authentic relationship...then "what you do" makes more sense, and now it has a "purpose". After all isn't that the two big questions of life: Who am I? and Why am I here? Many have discovered that God's "identity" and "purpose" for us makes it all clearer and more meaningful. Don't allow your "identity" to be stolen...discover it through your Creator. At ECHO we believe He has created you "on purpose"..."for a purpose!" Those of us who make up ECHO, we want to create an environment where you can discover that for yourself...so that you may live in it... and express it to others yourself!

be God's!
Brian O
Lead Pastor dude, ECHO