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And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17)

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Why is the Christian life a life of Thanksgiving?\xa0 Because it\u2019s not a life based on our circumstances, abilities, personal identity, or resources.\xa0 It\u2019s a life lived because of, for, and in the name of Jesus.\xa0

We may live in plenty or in want, in sickness or in health, in joy or in sorrow, in good times or in bad.\xa0 But what shapes our situations most significantly is not our health, wealth, or the things that happen to us.\xa0 No, it\u2019s Jesus Christ. \xa0In life or in death, plenty or want, sickness, health, or wherever else we may be: we belong to him. And so our lives are lived because of, for, and in His name.

We may be at the top of our class or profession, an amazing athlete, an attractive or fashionable person aware of the effect we have on others.\xa0 Or, perhaps we\u2019ve never set records in any of those areas, finding ourselves insecure before the mirror, demeaned and outperformed by supervisors and others, cycling through jobs, or whatever.\xa0 Even still: the most significant achievement in our lives isn\u2019t any of our own or the lack of them: Jesus and his accomplishments in life, death, resurrection and ascension still supersede anything on our report card, resume, or Instagram feed.\xa0 More importantly, his accomplishments belong to all of us equally.\xa0 No one gets higher or lower marks: we stand on level ground before God in Christ.\xa0 Because our lives aren\u2019t lived for pursuing or maximizing our abilities for their own sake: our abilities and lives are lived because of, for, and in submission to the name of the Lord Jesus.\xa0

We may mark our identity by any number of things. \xa0The way we might finish the sentence \u201cI am _________\u201d gives a sense of how many different identity markers we may hold on to.\xa0 I am successful.\xa0 I am a failure.\xa0 I am an artist.\xa0 I\u2019m no good at math.\xa0 I\u2019m a teacher.\xa0 I\u2019m a part of things.\xa0 I\u2019m an empty-nester.\xa0 I\u2019m a musician.\xa0 I\u2019m not smart.\xa0 I\u2019m a student.\xa0 I\u2019m a tradesperson.\xa0 I\u2019m often left out.\xa0 I\u2019m retired.\xa0 I\u2019m a daughter.\xa0 A father.\xa0 A grandmother. \xa0A widower.\xa0 A grieving person.\xa0 We mark our identity by our role in a family.\xa0 Our stage of life.\xa0 Our sexual orientation or gender identification.\xa0 Our job.\xa0 Our status.\xa0 Our hobbies.\xa0 Our insecurities.\xa0 All sorts of things.\xa0 But the most important and foundational answer to the question \u201cwho are you\u201d is this: I am a Christian who lives because of, for, and in the name of Jesus Christ.\xa0 This identity is a gift, and if allowed to, it begins to shape all the others too!

So, whatever you do, however you talk to yourself or others, whatever good or sour relationships you have, whatever your situation, and however positively, negatively, or instrumentally you identify yourself: remember\u2014you belong firstly to Jesus Christ and so all of your life is lived to, for, because of and in the name of Jesus Christ.\xa0 It is a gift to be received, not a standard to be lived up to.\xa0 And when it is received as a gift, this identity in Christ begins\u2014I think\u2014to produce freedom, joy, and thanks in our hearts to God and in all the rest of our lives too.\xa0 So, go forward joyfully in all things today, in the name of Jesus.\xa0

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