Since our 27 month old grandson Jack was a baby he has been riding with me in my pickup, which happens to have a large Oregon State University OS decal in the back window. When he was about 20 months old or so I was dressing Jack in a pair of Oregon State sweat pants and when he noticed the OS emblem on the pants he pointed to it and said “pickup.”

Jack has been wearing Oregon State gear since he was born but now he (and all the rest of us) calls all of his Oregon State gear his pickup clothes. He has pickup shirts, pickup pants, and even pickup rain boots and they are among his favorite clothes to wear. 

At a young age Jack made an identification that has changed the way he looks at his wardrobe and has helped make our lives easier as he is always willing to put on pickup clothes.

When we identify with Jesus it changes the way we look at ourselves and our lives. Regarding the way that he identified with Jesus, in Galatians 2:20 Paul wrote; “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Paul realized that by giving his life to Jesus and totally identifying with Him that he no longer lived for himself, but that he had died to himself and now lived for Jesus. With that identification and realization Paul put his own goals, dreams, desires and ambitions aside and lived to follow and serve Jesus, wherever Jesus called him to go and whatever Jesus called him to do. Paul’s total identification with Jesus meant that Jesus was able to work in and through his life so completely that it was as if Jesus Himself was doing the ministry. Which He was as He empowered Paul to serve Him.

With whom or what do you identify? Like Paul, can you say, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me?” What difference does or would this total identification with Jesus make in your life? 

Identifying with Jesus, as Paul did, is a continual process, the more we understand of ourselves the more we can give to Jesus as we grow in our understanding of Him. This month spend some time with Jesus growing in your identification with Him and see what He desires to do in and through your life as you follow and serve Him.

                                                                               God’s Grace and Peace,

                                                                                                         Mark