If you look closely at this passage, you’ll notice that Paul and Timothy are servants in two respects: they are servants of Jesus and servants to others. That order is important for us. Before we exercise our God-given purpose of serving others, we need to know our God-given identity in Christ.

What is this identity? He created you, and you are His—one of His people and a sheep in His pasture (Psalm 100:3). Your “life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). Not only do you need to know these things before you can share your hope with others, but these truths speak to a similar need in others.

We all have an identity. But most of us look for it in the wrong places. Traditionally, people have found their identities in their work, their families, their wealth, their reputation. More and more, people find their identities in gender, sexuality, and social causes. These are not only false identities, but they are ever-changing and unable to withstand the storms of life. Who you are in Christ is unshakable. You belong to Him!