Identity or the “We” Factor – Christian Counseling

Whose team are you on? An interesting study from the University of Utah has found a strong correlation between testosterone levels and sports fans. Male fans were observed before and after their sports teams had competed, and the study found that fans of the winning team experienced a 20% spike in their testosterone level, which was equivalent to the testosterone spike observed in the athletes themselves. A commensurate decrease in testosterone levels was also observed in the fans of the losing team. What conclusions can we draw from this? Apparently the men were identifying so strongly with their respective sports teams that they actually vicariously experienced their team’s defeat or victory on a physiological level. The sting of defeat and the rush of victory was felt so strongly due to their self-identification with their team that they somehow suffered the same loss or enjoyed the same communal benefits from victories that they did not actually accomplish. Talk about unity!

Where Do You Get Your Identity?

This makes me wonder to what degree we in the church identify as members of the same team. After all, before this study by the University of Utah we had 1 Corinthians 12:26-27 that states: “And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.” That sounds a lot like this study, doesn’t it? However, this team is not just a sports team but the entire Kingdom of Heaven here on earth – it is every believer, every Christian brother and sister. So, to get back to the title of this post: Where do you get your identity?

The glorious Church marches on, for all its deep flaws and deeply flawed membership. Christianity continues to be the only source of eternal life and light in a world gone dark. Do you experience this team unity, the fist pumping over each new life saved from death, each captive delivered, and every light that shines in the darkness? A lack of identity in Christ leads us to a lack of passionate joyful participation. We become just plain show-up members. We need to show up at church, yes, but we also need to show up in our marriages, for our kids, for our neighbors, and for our communities – and we need to do so with zeal. When football or the like commands our devotion above all else, then something has gone terribly awry. This is illustrated by the superfan who is willing to lose their voice shouting at the television in anger or celebration, yet who is strangely blasé in considering God’s agenda.

We Want to Find Passion

The purpose of this post is not to guilt trip anyone. We have plenty of that already: “I need to do better, go to church more, read my bible more, give more, pray more, do more, more, more…” We will not find passion – whether for our spouse, our neighbor, or God – down that path. Yet we do want to find passion. I am convinced that there are many of us living lives of quiet desperation. We are aware to one degree or another that we want more. We want more to cheer for than just a recreational sport. We want more to inspire our passions and allegiances than just a temporary scoreboard. We all crave meaning and purpose in our lives and too many of us are scared or deceived into believing there is none, at least not for them.

We are On the Winning Team

But this is not the truth. The truth is that all the trappings of this world are temporary distractions, but this is not true of people. Our souls are eternal – yours and mine, together with our spouses, and all of us. This is what matters. People matter. God matters. At the cross of Calvary everything that mattered came crashing together as the epicenter of life and righteousness, victory and sacrifice, courage and love. When Jesus died on the cross, we won. We who believe are on the winning team in the only contest that matters, which is the battle of eternal life and death. I think we need to remind ourselves of this reality. The more we meditate on the truth of our identity in Christ and our personal participation in the contest between good and evil, eternal life and eternal death, we will start to wake up. And when we wake up, we will find that we are victorious.

If the studies are any indication, this is something to get excited about.

You need to remember who you are. But, more importantly, you need to remember Whose you are. Do you belong to Jesus? If so, I have good news for you: We have won!

Christian Counseling for Passionate Living

To love and to glorify the Lord is your right and your destiny. If you are struggling in life, stuck in the doldrums of the normals, or just want to feel excited about waking up again, Christian counseling can help you. To live lives of significance and meaning is not only within our grasp, it is ordained by God.

So live. Live every day with passion and fully alive because in Christ you are alive. Let us help you to live every day and to make it count for Christ.