Five Pillars of Identity

Since the beginning of time, humans have grappled with the question of identity and value—who am I? Do I matter? Does any of my labor have value? What if I fail? What is my purpose in life? The narrative of our culture says we find meaning in what we can do or in fulfilling our own needs and desires. The narrative of the military says our significance and value can be found in our performance. But God’s Word tells a different story. We have value and purpose because of who God created us to be and what he created us to do.

IMAGE BEARER

Who am I? Your greatest distinctive is that you are created in the image of God, the Creator of the universe. To our knowledge, human beings stand alone in a category different from all other life forms. Even the most intelligent animal is incapable of human creativity, industry, and depth of thought. Because you are created in God’s image, you are not defined by your strength, attractiveness, gender, health, nor any other feature. As an image bearer, you have value and dignity because God assigned it to you even before you were born.

Worker

Why am I here? The second pillar of your identity is that you have work to do—and because God is a worker, you reflect his image as you work. Skillful work, done with excellence, honors God. Even before the fall of humanity, God instructed Adam and Eve to carry responsibility and cultivate the world around them. After sin entered the world, Jesus modeled a way for you to engage and alleviate its brokenness.

Uniquely Gifted

Where am I going? God has given you a unique design that is meant to inform the general direction of your work and life. You have natural aptitudes and distinct spiritual gifts that God has woven into you for the benefit of others, and these should shape the trajectory of your journey. Humanity is created to be interdependent. Your gender also plays an important role as God has created men and women with unique and equally valuable characteristics.

Broken

Where did things go wrong? You don’t have to look far to see evidence of humanity’s brokenness. In the beginning, Adam and Eve stepped out from under God’s authority and ushered sin into the world. However, each of us has ratified that decision with our own sinful choices. Our natural bent is inward and selfish, and in order to have any hope of freedom, we must face our need for a Savior.

Redeemed

Where is hope? Because he loves us, Jesus entered the battlefield of fallen humanity and made the ultimate sacrifice to redeem us. His choice to pursue you is rooted in his character, not your worthiness. He has the power to redeem any past, no matter how broken. Living in the present reality of redemption empowers you to bear the fruit of love, joy, peace, and self-control. And Jesus also gives you hope for a future free from the weight of proving yourself to the world. Your identity is that you are an adopted child of the King.

Resilient Leadership

The gospel brings freedom. If you are going to be a resilient, compelling leader in the military context, you have to keep the Five Pillars at the forefront of your mind and actively preach them to yourself on a daily basis. Applying this framework of gospel identity empowers you to become a redemptive center of gravity for the people around you. As you lead out of an overflow of the grace you have been given, you become free to love God, build community, and engage the brokenness of the world.