The majority of Christians in the western world have an identity crisis.

By that I mean we don't know who we are in this world.

Most of us act as though this world is our true home and we need to gain all we can from its resources for our personal use.

Sadly, greed has corrupted too many Christians.

Some believers in third world countries pray for Christians in the western world that we would not be spiritually ruined by our material prosperity. Have you ever thought of this as a danger to yourself?

We're to work in this world as Christ's followers, to bring the teaching of Scripture to bear on all of life.

Our role here is to act as ambassadors from heaven.

We have our citizenship in another world, we represent a foreign power, and we have a message from our King to pass on to the citizens of this world.

In Colossians 3:1-2 Paul writes, "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." (NIV)

Many of us think this setting our minds on things above is what we do for an hour Sunday morning in church. The rest of the week we give ourselves over to setting our minds on "earthly things".

If more of us thought of ourselves as ambassadors, then we would handle our suffering much better than we do.

What happens to us in this life is not that critical in light of eternity and the new world Jesus will set up at the end of time.

I really woke up to this fact when I began my journey with cancer many years ago. I regret to say that a couple of other major "bumps" in my ride through life required me to learn my identity all over again.

Seek to recognize that as a follower of Jesus this world is not your final home. This means that whatever you lose here and now is of little importance when compared to what you are going to gain in God's eternal kingdom.

Make certain, Christian friend, that you really know who you are and what your true home is. Such self knowledge will make you strong when sorrow visits your home.