What happens to the schlimazel is the opposite of what’s normally expected. Jewish humor describes a schlimazel this way:

A schlimazel has so much bad luck that when he runs away from rain, he gets hail.
When a schlimazel falls on his back, he bruises his nose.
When a schlimazel slaughters a rooster, it runs.
When he winds up a clock, it stops.
If a schlimazel were in the candle business, the sun would never set.
If he were an undertaker, people would stop dying.

I felt like a schlimazel recently.

Someone hacked into my personal email account and sent me over 25,000 spam emails. I didn’t realize there were so many opportunities to subscribe to things!

On the same day, my wife did the laundry and a huge amount of water backed up from the floor drain all over the basement floor. The plumber had to come to our house four times. He even ran a camera down the main sewer line to try to find the problem (he said he was doing a colonoscopy!).

There might be those who can steal my earthly identity, but they can’t touch my identity in Christ.

The next day someone stole my identity and hacked into our bank account. The hacker tried but failed to wire out almost $4,500.00 from our account. Since then, I’ve been working with our bank, the police, credit card companies, and an identity theft resolution service.

Despite all of that, I take great comfort in the fact that even though someone may be able to steal my earthly identity, my identity in Jesus Christ is safe and secure.

“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Eph. 1:13). My identity in Christ is sure. It’s steadfast. It will never change. It’s what theologians call “positional truth.” My feelings may change. My experiences may change. But my position in Christ will never change.

One of the greatest and most helpful Bible studies I did as a new believer was to learn of my union with Christ, and my identification with Him. I have to say that I’m still learning to believe and appropriate those truths. And when I struggle with doubt and fear, it’s most likely because I’ve forgotten the positional truths of who I am in Jesus Christ and who He is in me.

I may feel like a schlimazel at times, but that’s not who I am. I am a child of God, crucified, risen, and seated in the heavenly places at God’s right hand in Christ.  And no matter what happens to me––spam email, flooded basement, or identity theft ––nothing will ever change the truth that I am in Christ, and Christ is in me.

Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” But He also said in that same verse, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

There might be those who can steal my earthly identity, but they can’t touch my identity in Christ. They might be able to kill my body, but they’re unable to kill my soul (Matthew 10:28). I might be struck down, but I’m not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:9).

Jesus is my LifeLock! And I am sealed and safe in Him.