More Than Linsanity

In February 2012, Jeremy Lin was sleeping on his brother's couch in New York City. He had been cut by two NBA teams, barely clinging to a roster spot with the Knicks. Then, in a stretch that stunned the basketball world, Lin scored 136 points in his first five starts, leading New York to victory after improbable victory. The media dubbed it "Linsanity." Overnight, the Harvard-educated point guard became one of the most talked-about athletes on the planet.

But here is what most people missed. When reporters asked Lin about his sudden fame, he kept redirecting the conversation. "I'm not playing for the fans," he said. "I'm not playing for the media. I'm playing for an audience of One." Lin had settled the question of his identity long before the world decided he mattered. His worth was not established by a scoring streak, and it could not be demolished when the streak ended — which, of course, it did.

The world is constantly trying to name us. It names us by our successes and our failures, our job titles and our bank accounts. But the God who spoke creation into existence has already named us. The Almighty calls us chosen, beloved, redeemed. And unlike a hot streak in Madison Square Garden, that identity does not fade when the cameras move on.

Whose voice are you letting define you — the crowd's, or your Creator's?