When life spins out of control, where do you turn? In this 4-day plan, discover how to navigate your next life crisis by finding your true orientation in Christ. Learn what Jesus did before his ministry began and how his example can help you anchor your identity; not in what you do, who approves, or what position you hold, but in what God says about you.
Scott Savage
Day 1
Scriptures: Mark 1:9-11, Philippians 3:12-14
Liviu Floria had one of the worst work days ever.
In 2010, Floria accepted a job at a gas facility in Algeria that paid five times what he made in Romania. For three years, he settled into a routine: one month working 12-hour shifts in Algeria, one month at home in Romania.
Then came the day that changed everything. One morning, Floria and a coworker heard a commotion outside their quarters. Looking out the window, they witnessed terrorists killing the guards and taking over the facility.
Eventually, seven men came together with Floria, hiding for over a day without being discovered. Under the cover of darkness, eight men, including Floria, escaped. They followed a distant flame from another gas facility by night and used their iPhone compass app to guide them by day. Dehydrated but alive, they reached an abandoned facility and eventually a road where Algerian police rescued them.
Now, I hope you never have your workplace stormed by terrorists or have to wander through a desert with just four water bottles between eight men. But if you do, knowing true north might save your life.
True north is a concept born from the world of navigation. While magnetic north is what your compass points to (determined by the Earth’s magnetic field lines), true north is defined by the Earth’s axis. Magnetic north changes based on where you’re standing, but true north is absolute, no matter your location.
Over time, true north has become a term we use to identify our reference point in a spinning world. When your world starts spinning, how do you get your bearings? What establishes our true north?
Jesus sets the example for us. How did Jesus navigate challenges and orient himself? Well, we get the answer from the Scriptures. As Jesus finalized his public ministry preparations, the Father equipped the Son for what lay ahead.
Before Jesus preached a message, performed a miracle, healed anyone, or died on the cross, he experienced four things. Jesus heard His identity from heaven. He was formed and tested in the desert. Jesus built a community. Then he began his mission.
In times of crisis, we need direction. Like Jesus, we need to be able to say:
- “I know who God says I am.”
- “I know what God has delivered me through.”
- “I know the people who are in the fight with me.”
- “I know what matters most.”
Mark 1:1-28 describes these four experiences of Jesus, which I will use in this reading plan and three more reading plans I’ll be releasing soon.
As we begin this plan, let’s focus on the first part of this passage, where John baptizes Jesus: “At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
The Father spoke those powerful words over Jesus before his public ministry began. The Son heard, “You are my beloved Son, and with you I’m well pleased.”
Tomorrow, we’ll explore what these words meant for Jesus – and what they mean for us.
But today, ask yourself: What’s your true north when life spins out of control? Where do you turn for direction? If you struggle to keep your balance during a difficult time, keep reading! I’ve got help for you.
Day 2
Scriptures: Mark 1:11, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 8:15-17
“You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11)
The Father spoke these words over Jesus at his baptism. In the original Greek, the word for “well-pleased” carries the idea of “delight, joy, satisfaction, and pleasure.” The tense God used indicates this wasn’t a temporary feeling – the Father had always been, was at that moment, and would always be pleased with the Son.
God the Father declared over God the Son: Your identity is not in your performance. Not in any miracles you’ll perform. Not in your position in the world’s eyes, which will be fickle and ever-changing. Not in the approval of others, because Jesus would move from being celebrated to being crucified.
The Father ensured the Son knew his worth was rooted in his identity, not what he did. Jesus was defined by what God said about him, not what others said.
When I first heard someone teach on this passage, I wondered about applying these words to myself. As the firstborn son in my family, I tended to be driven, perfectionistic, and insecure. My sense of self would easily get tied up in my performance or the opinions of others.
But that day, listening to that sermon, I thought, “Sure, the words apply to Jesus. But me? Am I beloved? Do I bring God great joy?“ So, I dove into the Bible and discovered profound insights about my identity. These truths apply to you, too!
We were created in God’s image (Genesis 1:28). God knows everything about us and still loves us (Psalm 139). We are new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are God’s masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10). We are victorious (Romans 8:37). Nothing can separate us from God’s love (Romans 8:38-39).
If there’s only one thing you remember from today’s reading, let it be this: What God says about you is the truest thing about you.
Why is this the truest thing? Because God created you. He knows you like no one else does. He knows everything about you, and he still sent Jesus to die for you before you had any thought of him.
We call the message of Jesus “good news.” Deep in our souls, we yearn for the words Jesus heard to be spoken over us. You may have never heard them. You’ve dreamed of someone saying, “I love you. I’m proud of you. You bring me joy.” But those words were never spoken by a parent or an influential figure in your life.
Today, hear these words from your Creator: You are God’s son or daughter. You are loved. You bring God joy.
Few things are as powerful as the words we believe about ourselves. We must elevate our identity in Christ above all others. When we don’t know who we are in Christ and haven’t experienced God’s grace, we substitute other things. Pay attention to where you plant your identity; where you sow today will determine what you reap tomorrow.
Tomorrow, we’ll explore three dangerous places where we often misplace our identity. But today, let these words sink deep into your heart: You are God’s beloved child. You bring Him great joy.
Day 3
Scriptures: Luke 4:1-4, Mark 10:43-45
After Jesus was baptized and received his identity from the Father, he was immediately led into the wilderness where he fasted and was tempted by Satan. Luke 4:1-13 records how these temptations targeted the very foundation of his identity – trying to get him to prove who he was through performance, to seek approval through spectacle, and to grasp at position through power.
We face these same temptations daily. The Scriptures remind us that we are tempted like Jesus was. Let’s examine three dangerous places where we often plant our identity.
1. Performance
Jesus was tempted to perform and prove his divinity by turning stones into bread. But his Father had already declared who he was before he performed any miracles.
When you plant your identity in performance, you’re always just one mistake away from an identity crisis. That’s exhausting, nerve-wracking, anxiety-inducing, and incredibly stressful.
When he was very young, I found my oldest son hiding after making a decision he knew would lead to consequences. He asked me after being disciplined, “Pappa, are you mad at me?” I replied, “Yes, buddy, I am. But I love you, and that’s never going to change.”
My son struggles to disconnect my love from his performance – and I do the same when it comes to God.
2. Approval
Everyone has an opinion of you. Sometimes, the opinions are quiet, and sometimes they are loud. One of my greatest struggles in life and ministry has been embracing God’s approval rather than trying to earn others’ approval. Standing on a platform each Sunday as a pastor and publishing my writing online each day as a writer makes it challenging to ignore the opinions of others.
If you read the Gospels, you see a wide range of opinions about Jesus. The religious leaders, political figures, the poor, the sick, his family, his friends – everyone had opinions, agendas, and expectations. Daily, Jesus disappointed people and frustrated their expectations while living with God’s approval, which was spoken during his baptism.
Craig Groeschel once said, “You can either live for the approval of others or you can live from the approval of God.” That choice changes everything.
3. Position
Position and power easily become idols – things we look to for security and identity.
In his book “Counterfeit Gods,” Tim Keller writes: “What is an idol? It is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give…”
We build idols when we say, “If I can just have THAT, then I’ll feel my life has meaning, then I’ll know I have value, then I’ll feel significant and secure.”
Christ could have considered his position as co-equal with God as an entitlement. He could have looked to his power rather than His Father for worth and value.. Instead, he said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
Like water appearing on distant desert roads that disappears upon approach, our idols deceive us.
Whether we’re looking to a successful performance, the approval of others, or the power and prestige of a position, rooting our identity in anything but the approval of God will disappoint us.
Tomorrow, we’ll explore practical habits that help us live from our true identity in Christ. But today, ask yourself: Where have I planted my identity outside of who God says I am?
Day 4
Scriptures: Ephesians 2:8-10, Colossians 3:1-4, Galatians 2:20
If you’ve ever seen someone you love lose their job, go through a divorce, or face retirement, you’ve likely watched them experience an identity crisis. Those experiences can leave us reeling for an extended period.
If we’ve defined ourselves by what we do or our relationships, and those change, we no longer know who we are. The truth is: You are not what you do. Your marriage or your children do not define you. You are defined by what God did for you.
Today, I want to share three habits to help you own and live from your true identity in Christ.
1. Remember! We need to hear the Gospel every day.
The late Timothy Keller summarized Ephesians 2:8-9 beautifully. “The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”
Imagine you are standing in the middle of a fast-flowing river. The current will sweep you away if you don’t plant your feet firmly on the riverbed. In the same way, if you don’t daily remember the Gospel and your identity in Christ, the current of the world’s messages will carry you off.
As you move your feet from the bed to the ground each morning, what if you paused and reminded yourself of these truths? “I am loved. I am accepted. I am forgiven. I am a child of God. What He says about me is the truest thing about me.”
2. Filter! The voices we listen to shape who we become.
Whose voice means the most to you? Is it possible you’ve given someone’s voice the power only God should have? You can’t turn off the world’s voices, but you can turn up God’s voice.
Filtering is vital in our always-online world. Anyone can comment on a post or picture, but they don’t get to define who you are. As a pastor and author, anyone can like or dislike my content, but I will not give them a say regarding my value and worth. When the voices around you tell you you’re not “enough”–not successful enough, not attractive enough, not spiritual enough–remember that what God says about you is the most important thing about you!
3. Express! What we do is an expression of who we are, not the source of who we are.
What you do is an expression of your identity, but it must not establish it. Your marriage cannot hold the weight of your ultimate identity; you’ll crush your partner. Your children cannot hold it; you’ll suffocate your kids. Your work cannot sustain it; you’ll push yourself and those you lead to burnout.
My father, a pastor like me, often told our church, “You’re either heading into a crisis, in the middle of one, or coming out of one – all the time.” After decades of pastoring, he observed this pattern, and I’ve seen it too.
Navigating a crisis begins with knowing who you are. And who you are is summed up in those words God the Father spoke to Jesus: “You are my beloved child, and you bring me great joy.” When your identity is in crisis, return to what God says about you – it is your most authentic identity.