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Foreword

“Who are you?”

During the Arrow Leadership program, we ask Christian leaders to answer this seemingly simple question in three uninterrupted minutes. Most start with their name and then quickly add their professional title. Then things get interesting. There’s still usually two minutes and fifty seconds left on the clock.

At this point some leaders get stuck. They stumble over what to share because their title and role has become all-consuming. What they do has become the core of who they are. Their business card has become their identity.

This is problematic and even dangerous on a number of levels. For starters, what happens to their identity when their role changes? What happens when they compare themselves to others who are more gifted, have superior profiles or achieve greater success? What happens when they are criticized or face opposition?

“Who are you?” is an incredibly important question—not only for leaders but for every person. We live, relate and serve out of our identity. Our answer to this question is central to how we see ourselves, how we view others and how we engage the world. It gives a window into the core of who we are, what we deeply value and where we invest our greatest energy.

So how do we answer such an important question? For Christ-followers, the truest thing about us is what God says about us. In God’s unchanging truth, we discover that our core identity isn’t rooted in fragile and temporary circumstances, comparisons with others, competing internal aspirations, overwhelming external voices, or preferences that won’t stand the test of time. Instead, our core identity is anchored in Christ.

The heart of Who Am I? seeks to help you live, relate and serve from the unshakeable foundation of God’s truth about your identity. With rich, challenging and biblically grounded devotionals that invite you to reflect, engage and pray, Dr. Sharon Simmonds has created a wonderfully practical resource to help you anchor your identity in Christ.

I heartily encourage you to embark on this incredibly important journey of discovering your core identity. Here you will discover that God firmly establishes your real worth, great value and true uniqueness. It’s only here, in God’s truth, that you can discover an unshakeable confidence, enduring peace, true freedom, clear purpose and prevailing hope.

So, take your time, invite a friend and soak in the amazing reality of your true identity.

—Dr. Steve A. Brown

President, Arrow Leadership