He adjusts his name badge slightly…

And smiles…

“Engineering,” says the title under his name.

But to those in the know…

The badge says a lot more…

The green star on the badge means it will open any door in the building.

The broad gold stripe under his name means that he is a member of management.

Not just low-level management…

Not just work-group level management…

Not even departmental management…

He is a division leader…

Responsible for the profitability and direction of thousands of people.

To those in the know…

The badge broadcasts his identity.

Well… maybe his former identity.

He retired a year ago.

But it’s hard give up an identity he spent a lifetime building.

So today… when he meets friends for lunch at the company cafeteria…

He wears the badge…

Discreetly…

Under his coat…

Maybe someone will catch a glimpse of the green border…

Maybe they’ll see the black lanyard…

And know that he is important.

“Was important,” he thinks…

And sighs…

Life changes.

Everything changes.

Even his identity.

But not today.

He adjusts his badge and walks to his car…

Determined to resist change…

To cling to the identity he has built.

It takes a lot of effort…

But where can he find a new identity?

…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.  2 Corinthians 5:17

An identity that will allow him to stop clinging to the past…

…put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.  Ephesians 4:22-24

An identity more permanent than any he could create himself…

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God  John 1:12