Self-Worth, Worship, and Identity in Christ

This summer, Mercy Road Fellowship will be delving into the topic of the Christian's identity in Christ. Consequently, I've been doing a lot of thinking about that topic, and today I ran across this quote in a rather unlikely article about worship.


"I hadn't realized that I had been searching for worth in things that could not give it, for satisfaction in broken wells. I was subconsciously using people to find validation, trying to create a better identity than the one I had been given in Christ. When people didn't cooperate with my plans, I became frustrated with them, rather than humbly serving them as their pastor." (From "Worship Leaders, We Are Not Rock Stars," by Stephen Miller Read more)

While the article made some great points about worship leaders and the "cult of personality" mindset that plagues so many churches in our society today, it also got me thinking about the people who attend such churches. How many Christians are somehow validated by the church they go to? Whether it's known as the "most conservative" church, the "coolest" church, the "biggest" church, the most "theologically sound" church, or what have you. How many Christians wrap their identities up in the church they attend? I suspect it's a lot more than we might think.