Identity Theft

Identity theft is a thriving "business".  We are constantly bombarded with good sound advice about it.  We are told to use any and all precautions to avoid identity theft...and there is an almost constant flow of information which contains the means to do just that.  It almost seems, these days, that you can't do enough to protect yourself from identity theft.  And, from all that I have heard from those I know who were "hacked", it can be a real can of worms before you are back to "normal" if your identity has been thieved.

What are the qualities and characteristics that clearly identify you as a Christian man, husband and father?  Can those qualities and characteristics be attacked and possibly diminished by things of the world?  Is that not just another form of identity theft?

There can be no denying that the world we live in is chock full of many earthly things that tend to stand in the way of our being all that we can be.  To name a few:

• peer pressure
• the relaxed mores that are so prevalent in today's society
• sexual "freedoms"
• relaxed views on the sanctity of marriage
• increasing divorce rates
• etc
• the "need to succeed" mindset subtly advertised beyond belief
• the "ok-ness" of the "me first" attitude so present in today's times
• and more (you get the picture).

We were created in God's image, and as Christians we hold as our goal to be more Christ like each and every step we take down that long narrow road of life that leads to the prize---Heaven.  And in order to successfully do that we need to hold tightly those qualities and characteristics that identify us as Christians....even in the face of all that is against us.  If we succumb to peer pressure, to relaxed mores, to put being successful higher in importance than being Godly, and/or buy into a "me first" mindset....are we not allowing those things to steal our identity as Christians?

It seems to me that theft of our spiritual identity has far graver, and much more lasting consequences than identity theft of the earthly kind so many are worked up about.  Perhaps we need to be worked up about both kinds.