Identity Theft and You

Last year, near Paso Robles, California, we went to a wine-tasting room that had a restaurant. The first item delivered to the table was the wine-tasting menu. I was impressed by the descriptions of each of the different wines. Writing these glorious wine descriptions must require a Doctorate Degree in English Verbosity and Adjectives. Here are descriptions of two of the wines for your perusal. 

"Seductively bold and intense at first, huge aromas boom from the gates in all the right ways – sweet black tar (whatever that means), licorice, spice, juicy blackberries, vanilla toast, lavender, and California chaparral (there's a bush in this wine) – and the palate corsets all the boldness into elegant, mouthwatering sensations. The texture is of its own creation with the iconoclastic Petite Sirah-led Rhone blend. This gorgeously flavored wine is easy on the eyes, too!" I'm glad it's easy on the eyes.  

Here’s another description. “Fresh-cut herbs, red fruits, roses, forest floor, and roasted meats (thrown on the forest floor?) lead the way to this silky, sensation-filled wine. Flavors and aromas see-saw between savory and fruity, floral and earth, truffles and tobacco. Entering round and plush with velvety tannins, this wine expresses an up-and-down motion as richness, acid, and tannin dance across the palate with secondary notes of graphite, cedar, and baking spices. It finishes with a lasting back-to-front brush of texture on the roof of the mouth."

English is a fantastic language. English has many persuasive and influential combinations of words, and these two descriptions didn't miss a word.

These two descriptions give each wine its unique identity and branding. Identity is who you are. Purpose is what you do. Destiny combines identity and purpose to achieve what someone or something is created to do.

If we tasted either of these two wines, most of us would end up saying something like these two statements: "I like it." "I don't like it." Then, most would see the price of these wines and say, "May I have water with my meal."

Considering this winery and the wines above, if you have enough disposable income, wine-tasting experience, and wine-language knowledge, you will probably say these two wines were consistent with their descriptions. The wines' identities measure up to the tasting experience. 

But what happens if someone intentionally created a cheap wine but used the same descriptive words as the words above to market their wine? And then uninformed and unaware wine consumers bought the description hook, line, and sinker. That wine has a false identity. Afterward, many might say, "But it sure sounded good and looked good." But the problem is, "It wasn't good." The optics and communication were great, but the product’s quality was inferior. I call this strategy: ‘Promise them anything, give them nothing.’ Some lessons must be experienced to be learned. 

Unfortunately, identity theft and false identity branding are everywhere in today's wired and confused identity-driven world. Just look at the political commercials that sound like those wine descriptions. Comprehensive facts and truth in context are tossed overboard when there is an agenda or master control program in charge. The problem with false identity is that it undermines true purpose, which impedes created destiny.

A long time ago, Jesus faced identity theft. The first temptation Jesus encountered was an attempted identity theft. 

At the initiation of Jesus’ ministry on earth, Jesus was baptized. “After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” Matthew 3:16-17

Notice the first thing God did was confirm the identity of Jesus, or who Jesus is. "This is My beloved Son, and I'm pleased with him.” In other words, Jesus is the way he is (identity) because of why he is (purpose). God was pleased with Jesus before Jesus did anything for Him. The same is true of you and me. God loves us and is pleased with us before we do anything for him. We can’t earn God’s affirmation. God’s affirmation is given by our Creator. What you do is not who you are. So, Jesus' identity is established and settled once and for all time. 

But watch what happens two verses later. Someone comes up at Jesus' weakest moment and challenges Jesus' identity. 

“And after He had fasted for forty days and forty nights, He became hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.’ But He answered and said, 'It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God.’" Matthew 4:2-4. 

So, God established Jesus' identity before He went into ministry (purpose). But the tempter, called the father of lies in another scripture, came and challenged Jesus' identity. "I want to see a miracle to prove you are the Son of God." The tempter tested Jesus to see if his actions could become who He is. Even though Jesus was in a mental, emotional, and physical crisis, Jesus knew, miracle or not, that His identity was secured by His Father. Jesus answered the tempter by quoting another Bible verse. "It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God's mouth." In other words, hear from God first, then do. Let what you do (purpose) flow from hearing your Father’s voice (identity).

Like in Jesus' time, identity thieves appear at people’s most vulnerable times, using descriptive ads, optics, and opinions, labeling true as false or false as true. Be wary. Why? If you take on an identity God didn't give you, you will miss the life (and possibly quality wine) that God has for you! More revelation about identity next week.