Despite what people are sometimes told, identity is not defined by personality quirks, giftedness, training, or what someone does for a living. Over and over throughout Scripture it is declared that identity is of the heart. But what does that mean? In Identity Theft: The Foundation of Your Life is Not What You Do, or What You Know, But Who You Are, Kevin Avram and Wes Boldt walk the reader through to an understanding of heart identity, how it is shaped, expressed, changed, and even stolen. Most people are familiar with the implications of identity theft when credit card accounts and Social Security numbers are involved. And they know that such an experience can be traumatic with serious long-term consequences. But how many people have thought through the implications, or are even aware, that the identity of their heart, as opposed to their paper identity, can also be stolen. Using easy to grasp analogies from everyday life, backed by the declarations of Scripture and personal experience, the authors put into plain language the far-reaching implications when we mistakenly associate identity with activity, appearance, behavior, possessions, status, and even Christian commitment.
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Editorial Reviews
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Kevin Avram spent more than twenty-years as a professional management consultant helping advocacy groups (non-profit corporations) structure themselves for success. His involvement in the institutional church, and his professional career with non-profit corporations, dove-tailed in such a way that he was able to gain a unique understanding of how the concept of corporation has come to shape the institutional church, and in turn, influence so many aspects of contemporary Christianity.
Wes Boldt serves with Foundations of Purpose International, a Christian ministry and service organization operating out of locations in Scottsdale, Arizona and Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada. His personal comment from the book's summation states: "Over a period of years, prior to working with Foundations of Purpose International, the Father kept leading me into situations where I could learn about motivational gifts and their characteristics. He taught me in the quietness of my personal study. I also learned through seminars, conferences, short-term schools, the writings of those who teach about the gifts and one-on-one meetings with them..."
HEART IDENTITY--Excerpt from Chapter Six
An individual with a singular focus upon obedience will not hunger and thirst for righteousness, but hunger and thirst for a clear conscience and a religious life defined by outward form and appearance. People thusly preoccupied will speak affectionately of "commitment," and "passion." This is not to suggest commitment is undesirable or that passion should be shunned, but to recognize that within a healthy relationship, commitment is a consequence, and passion an aroused emotion. Commitment is also a common legal concept. If a man signs a promissory note or contract to provide some type of service or commodity, he makes a commitment. Commitment focuses upon performance rather than identity. The term is related to "action" or "delivery."
The Pharisees understood commitment better than anyone else, and used it as a primary grid to measure their value and the value of those around them. Men and women with the heart identity of a Laborer do the same. They think commitment reflects spiritual temperature. Sons and Daughters are different. They know their Father is not interested in the temperature of their commitment but the condition of their heart, for it is from the heart the issues of life flow. (Prov. 4:23)
Even in human endeavors, the richest relationships are not cemented by commitment but love, and in such relationships, commitment is not a cause but a consequence. A husband who truly loves and delights in his wife rarely, if ever, uses the word "commitment" when describing his affection for her. His thoughts will go to her voice, her hair, and the way of her heart. He knows the feel of her hand, the curve of her hip, the tilt of her head, and the look of her eye. In eight chapters and 117 verses, the Old Testament's Song of Solomon doesn't mention commitment. It speaks of a bride who longs to be kissed and a groom who delights in her love. It tells of excited anticipation at the sound of an approaching footstep and the union of lovers. It is for good reason the word commitment is not there. Mature lovers tend not to use it.
If a man truly loves his wife and is asked whether he is committed to her, he will likely have to pause and think about it before he can answer. He will, no doubt, respond in the affirmative, but he'll have to pause and think about it before he answers because he doesn't think of her in those terms. For him, commitment is not the essence of the relationship, but a definable consequence of it.
When love is absent, if a married couple is to stay together then a substitute bonding agent must be found. It's the same for a Christian who walks in self-sufficiency instead of Sonship/Daughterhood. In both of these situations commitment becomes the all-purpose glue. Many relationships are held together by commitment, but the only time it ever becomes a relational focus, or is even talked about very much, is when love is absent, or immature. Mature lovers tend not to think about it, and never part ways in the morning by looking back over their shoulder as they head off to work in order to shout, "I am committed to you!"
Expressing Heart Identity--Excerpt from Chapter Eight
Only after we understand our identity as Sons and Daughters can we comprehend the God-intended function of motivational gifts. Described by the Apostle Paul in Romans 12:6-8, motivational gifts are divine endowments. They are inclinations or intuitive abilities that the Father has woven into the disposition of every person.
We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader20, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness. (Rom. 12:6-8 NRSV) These divine endowments the Father has given are as much a part of us as our DNA. We go to bed with our gifts, wake up with them, and take them to work in the morning. They're there when we attend family reunions, play a round of golf, eat dinner, or sing in the shower. They're a more integral part of our person than our arms, legs, or eyes. We can lose an arm or an eye and still be a living person, but we cannot lose our motivational gifts any more than we can change our blood type. In brief, the motivational gifts are:
Perception--(Prophecy) An intuitive capacity to discern and accurately read situations.
Serving--(Ministry) The heartfelt desire to meet the practical needs of others.
Teaching--(Researching) The motivation to find clarity through study and research.
Exhortation--The innate desire to encourage others to grow and develop, even in the face of hardship and suffering.
Giving--The inborn desire to contribute generously of financial and other resources.
Administration--The desire to coordinate people, resources, and schedules.
Compassion--The capacity to identify with, and the desire to comfort, those in distress.
Each of us has a unique mixture of gifts, though one of them tends to dominate and influence the way we see and respond to situations and establish priorities. If we walk with the heart identity of Sons/Daughters, our hearts will be open to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and our giftedness will be a practical extension of what the Father is working in us. We will minister with the grace He gives in the way He indicates we should. The focus will not be the gift, but the Father.
If we do not have the heart identity of Sons/Daughters, our focus will be on our own fulfillment and what we can do with our gift. It is an erroneous disposition that has led more than a few people to falsely conclude that their gift and their identity are synonymous. Gifts exercised apart from a hearing heart can actually oppose the purposes of God. In fact, much of what we call spiritual warfare is simply God resisting our efforts to use our gifts to build or achieve something that He never called us to. God resists the proud and self-determined. (I Peter 5:5)
Kevin Avram spent more than twenty-years as a professional management consultant helping advocacy groups (non-profit corporations) structure themselves for success. His involvement in the institutional church, and his professional career with non-profit corporations, dove-tailed in such a way that he was able to gain a unique understanding of how the concept of corporation has come to shape the institutional church, and in turn, influence so many aspects of contemporary Christianity.
Wes Boldt serves with Foundations of Purpose International, a Christian ministry and service organization operating out of locations in Scottsdale, Arizona and Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada. His personal comment from the book's summation states: "Over a period of years, prior to working with Foundations of Purpose International, the Father kept leading me into situations where I could learn about motivational gifts and their characteristics. He taught me in the quietness of my personal study. I also learned through seminars, conferences, short-term schools, the writings of those who teach about the gifts and one-on-one meetings with them..."
HEART IDENTITY--Excerpt from Chapter Six
An individual with a singular focus upon obedience will not hunger and thirst for righteousness, but hunger and thirst for a clear conscience and a religious life defined by outward form and appearance. People thusly preoccupied will speak affectionately of "commitment," and "passion." This is not to suggest commitment is undesirable or that passion should be shunned, but to recognize that within a healthy relationship, commitment is a consequence, and passion an aroused emotion. Commitment is also a common legal concept. If a man signs a promissory note or contract to provide some type of service or commodity, he makes a commitment. Commitment focuses upon performance rather than identity. The term is related to "action" or "delivery."
The Pharisees understood commitment better than anyone else, and used it as a primary grid to measure their value and the value of those around them. Men and women with the heart identity of a Laborer do the same. They think commitment reflects spiritual temperature. Sons and Daughters are different. They know their Father is not interested in the temperature of their commitment but the condition of their heart, for it is from the heart the issues of life flow. (Prov. 4:23)
Even in human endeavors, the richest relationships are not cemented by commitment but love, and in such relationships, commitment is not a cause but a consequence. A husband who truly loves and delights in his wife rarely, if ever, uses the word "commitment" when describing his affection for her. His thoughts will go to her voice, her hair, and the way of her heart. He knows the feel of her hand, the curve of her hip, the tilt of her head, and the look of her eye. In eight chapters and 117 verses, the Old Testament's Song of Solomon doesn't mention commitment. It speaks of a bride who longs to be kissed and a groom who delights in her love. It tells of excited anticipation at the sound of an approaching footstep and the union of lovers. It is for good reason the word commitment is not there. Mature lovers tend not to use it.
If a man truly loves his wife and is asked whether he is committed to her, he will likely have to pause and think about it before he can answer. He will, no doubt, respond in the affirmative, but he'll have to pause and think about it before he answers because he doesn't think of her in those terms. For him, commitment is not the essence of the relationship, but a definable consequence of it.
When love is absent, if a married couple is to stay together then a substitute bonding agent must be found. It's the same for a Christian who walks in self-sufficiency instead of Sonship/Daughterhood. In both of these situations commitment becomes the all-purpose glue. Many relationships are held together by commitment, but the only time it ever becomes a relational focus, or is even talked about very much, is when love is absent, or immature. Mature lovers tend not to think about it, and never part ways in the morning by looking back over their shoulder as they head off to work in order to shout, "I am committed to you!"
Expressing Heart Identity--Excerpt from Chapter Eight
Only after we understand our identity as Sons and Daughters can we comprehend the God-intended function of motivational gifts. Described by the Apostle Paul in Romans 12:6-8, motivational gifts are divine endowments. They are inclinations or intuitive abilities that the Father has woven into the disposition of every person.
We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader20, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness. (Rom. 12:6-8 NRSV) These divine endowments the Father has given are as much a part of us as our DNA. We go to bed with our gifts, wake up with them, and take them to work in the morning. They're there when we attend family reunions, play a round of golf, eat dinner, or sing in the shower. They're a more integral part of our person than our arms, legs, or eyes. We can lose an arm or an eye and still be a living person, but we cannot lose our motivational gifts any more than we can change our blood type. In brief, the motivational gifts are:
Perception--(Prophecy) An intuitive capacity to discern and accurately read situations.
Serving--(Ministry) The heartfelt desire to meet the practical needs of others.
Teaching--(Researching) The motivation to find clarity through study and research.
Exhortation--The innate desire to encourage others to grow and develop, even in the face of hardship and suffering.
Giving--The inborn desire to contribute generously of financial and other resources.
Administration--The desire to coordinate people, resources, and schedules.
Compassion--The capacity to identify with, and the desire to comfort, those in distress.
Each of us has a unique mixture of gifts, though one of them tends to dominate and influence the way we see and respond to situations and establish priorities. If we walk with the heart identity of Sons/Daughters, our hearts will be open to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and our giftedness will be a practical extension of what the Father is working in us. We will minister with the grace He gives in the way He indicates we should. The focus will not be the gift, but the Father.
If we do not have the heart identity of Sons/Daughters, our focus will be on our own fulfillment and what we can do with our gift. It is an erroneous disposition that has led more than a few people to falsely conclude that their gift and their identity are synonymous. Gifts exercised apart from a hearing heart can actually oppose the purposes of God. In fact, much of what we call spiritual warfare is simply God resisting our efforts to use our gifts to build or achieve something that He never called us to. God resists the proud and self-determined. (I Peter 5:5)
From the Inside Flap
FROM THE PREAMBLE OF IDENTITY THEFT
"The worst thing a book can do for a Christian is leave him with the impression that he has received from it anything really good; the best it can do is point the way to the good he is seeking. The function of a good book is to stand like a signpost directing the reader toward the Truth and the Life. That book serves best which early makes itself unnecessary, just as a signpost serves best [when] it is forgotten, after the traveler has arrived safely."
--A. W. Tozer, The Divine Conquest
"The worst thing a book can do for a Christian is leave him with the impression that he has received from it anything really good; the best it can do is point the way to the good he is seeking. The function of a good book is to stand like a signpost directing the reader toward the Truth and the Life. That book serves best which early makes itself unnecessary, just as a signpost serves best [when] it is forgotten, after the traveler has arrived safely."
--A. W. Tozer, The Divine Conquest
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
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Learning to live in His identity,
By
This review is from: Identity Theft (Paperback)
Written in an engaging style combining life stories, analogies, and scripture, Identity Theft connects the concepts of personal identity, paradigms, and personal giftedness.It opens with anecdotes from the author's personal life stories, as well as some reflections on `how they got here'. Both Kevin Avram and Wes Boldt experienced a variety of highs and lows as they looked to make sense of life. A paradigm is the concept of how we understand the world around us. "We all live within paradigms, including the paradigm that shapes the way we understand God. If our paradigm changes, God doesn't change or alter His opinion about what is real - we do....The road map by which we understand our relationship with God is changed." Our heart identity comes from our heart attitude (either pride or humility as a response to truth) plus the paradigm through which we see life. "When our heart attitude is humility, we are positioned to take on the heart identity of a Son or Daughter (of God)." However, when our heart attitude is one of pride, through an unconscious process we will reach conclusions based on experience and end up taking on the heart identity of a Laborer, an Orphan or a Beggar. The rest of the book expands on these concepts using scripture references as the basis for the conclusions drawn. For clarity, some charts are included that summarize the points being made. A summary of each paradigm's `Heart's Cry', `Identity Source', and `Concept of God' is included to assist the reader in understanding what it is that can steal our identity as Sons or Daughters. Biblical examples of each paradigm are discussed. How does one get the heart identity of a Son or a Daughter? To find that out, read the book! A clue - the process is explained in the beatitudes. It is only after we understand our identity as Sons and Daughters that we can begin to understand the function of motivational gifts as found in Romans 12:6-8. For each one of us, the results of our heart identities and motivational gifts are seen in all areas of our lives. As you read this book you will recognize yourself in one or more of the gifting descriptions and I realized that too often I do not have the heart identity that I want to have. For church leaders this book can be a great help in understanding how our heart identities and our motivational gifts impact our leadership. The last two sections tell valuable stories of people worked through these issues in their lives. I found the concepts in this book challenged me to clarify my thinking about what I believe, and to ask God to complete the work of giving me the heart identity of a Son.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
After nearly 20 years of intense church involvement, based on everything Becky and I knew, we should have been living full Christian lives. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Holy Spirit, Need Met, United States, Lord Jesus, Jesus Christ, John the Baptist, Pearl Harbor, Stanley Tam, Concept of God, Identity Source, New Testament, Richard Sanchez New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
After nearly 20 years of intense church involvement, based on everything Becky and I knew, we should have been living full Christian lives. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Holy Spirit, Need Met, United States, Lord Jesus, Jesus Christ, John the Baptist, Pearl Harbor, Stanley Tam, Concept of God, Identity Source, New Testament, Richard Sanchez New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 3
books:
1
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cites this book:
- Changing on the Inside by John White on page 40, and Back Matter
- The Pursuit of Man by A. W. Tozer in Front Matter
- God Owns My Business: They Said It Couldn't be Done, But Formally and Legally... by Stanley Tam on page 23
- The Will or the Way by Kevin Avram in Front Matter, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
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