Identity Theft
BIANCA OLTHOFF
Listen to this devotion
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10 (NIV)
The morning conversation started something like this:
Husband: B, did you purchase tile?
Me: Huh?
Husband: Bianca, did you purchase $6,000 worth of tile flooring?
Me: Do I look like the woman who would purchase $6,000 worth
of flooring tile?! You must not know me at all. Now, if that was $6,000
worth of shoes, then maybe I would own that. But tile? No way, José!
After 9,274,104 phone calls to our credit card company, the payment was reversed and we had to file identity theft charges.
The ironic part of the whole situation was that I didn’t even flinch
when Matt asked me about the charges. I have been a victim of identity
theft four separate times, and with each time, the purchases got more
and more comical.
The round-trip tickets and Caribbean vacation getaway? Not me.
Sixteen charges at the local superstore and Cracker Barrel restaurant?
Nope, definitely not me. The Domino’s Pizza order totaling over $350?
Yup, not me either. So when the charges of flooring tile hit the credit
card, I didn’t even flinch.
I’ve gone through this before. It's nothing new. It will not change who I am.
We’re told that Jesus warns of identity theft. Yes, that’s right.
Even before the World Wide Web existed, our early church fathers had to
deal with the same drama. John 10:10 says Jesus told His followers the thief comes only to kill, steal and destroy, but He comes to bring life — abundant life.
If you’ve never been a victim of credit card fraud or identity theft, I’ll tell you that it’s horrible. Your ability to know and defend the truth is stolen. Your credit is killed. Your reputation destroyed. Steal. Kill. Destroy.
In the same way, the enemy of this world seeks after our identity daily. The warning Jesus gave His followers is the same one I echo today: Be careful! There are people, things and temptations that will lure you away from the real you. Your true identity must be forged in concrete, unwavering in doubt.
The problem is that sometimes we don’t know our spiritual credit
score. We aren’t aware of who is taking advantage of us, or how. Worse
yet, we don’t even know who we are or how we got to where we are.
It’s convoluted and complicated and contrived. I understand. I’ve
heard women tell me, “I don’t know who I am anymore. I’ve completely
lost myself and my identity.” Listen to me; we’ve all been there. For real.
But instead of talking about what we don’t know, why don’t we focus
on what we do know? If you lose your way and spiritual amnesia robs you
of memory, hold on to the simple fact that if all else fails — you get
divorced, you lose a child, you lose your job, you break up with a
partner — when you know Jesus, you are still a child of God.
I love how The Message translation states John 10:10, “A
thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can
have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed
of.”
The tropical vacation with copious amounts of Cracker Barrel
carbohydrates and $6,000-flooring tile pales in comparison to the life
that Christ wants to give us. And the best news? Nobody can steal your
identity as a child of God, and nobody can steal the eternal life you
have in Christ.
Dear God Almighty, we believe You are the one who forges our
identity. We know our identity is in You, and no one can steal that from
us. Today, we thank You for giving us abundant life. In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.