“For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:3)

Have you seen a construction worker or a window washer working on a scaffold? It provides footing for them to carry out their task. It is a platform providing temporary footing.

Some of us build our sense of self on such scaffolding – our job position, our physical health, our family roles, or even our ministry successes. We feel strong as long as we have the scaffolding beneath our feet.

However, life has a way of stripping that scaffolding away. Whether it is a sudden layoff, a health crisis, or a season of deep grief, we often find ourselves asking: “If I am no longer a provider, a healthy person, or a successful leader, then who am I?”

Here is why your identity in Christ during trials is the only foundation that cannot be moved.

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Scaffolding vs. Foundation

We often confuse our “roles” with our “identity.”

• The Role: You are a manager, a husband, or a preacher.
• The Identity: You are a child of God, redeemed and chosen.

If you identify primarily as a “successful provider” and lose your job, you don’t just lose your income; you lose your sense of worth. Consequently, the trial becomes a crisis of the soul. In contrast, when your identity is anchored in Christ, you realize that while your “scaffolding” has fallen, your “foundation” remains untouched. Your “Self” is kept in a place where inflation, layoffs, and sickness cannot reach it.

The “Hidden Life” Strategy

The Apostle Paul writes that our lives are “hidden with Christ in God.” This is a powerful spiritual reality. It means that the most important part of who you are is currently stored in a divine vault.

When you go through a storm, you can remind yourself: “The part of me that matters most is untouchable by this situation.”

• If you are too sick to get out of bed, your status as a “new creature” is unchanged.
• If you are facing failure, your status as “more than a conqueror” is still active.

Finding Peace in “Being” Over “Doing”

During a trial, your capacity to “do” things for God often diminishes. You might not have the energy for long prayers or the strength to serve others.

The beauty of the Gospel is that your identity is a status, not a stature. You do not grow into being a Christian based on your performance; you are granted that identity by grace. You are just as much a child of God while sitting in silence and pain as you are while standing on a stage sharing the Gospel.

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Actionable Advice for the Storm

Identify Your Scaffolding

List the three things you rely on for your confidence (e.g., career, health, reputation). Ask yourself: “Would I still feel valuable if these were gone tomorrow?”

Speak the Truth

When a trial hits, tell yourself, “This situation is changing my circumstances, but it is not changing my identity.”

Rest in the Hidden Life

Spend five minutes today simply thanking God that your life is “hidden” and safe with Him, regardless of how you feel.

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A Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, I thank You that my value is not tied to my circumstances. When the storms of life come and the things I rely on fall away, I am still Yours. Help me to rest in the truth that my life is hidden with Christ in God. Give me peace in knowing that I am loved for who I am, not for what I can do. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.