Who Do You Think You Are?

In the 1970s, Friday nights weren’t just another step toward the weekend—they were a rite of passage. When the sun dipped behind the Georgia pines and my platform shoes were laced up tight, it was time to hit the local clubs with my friends. We weren’t exactly disco queens, but we sure thought we were something.

There was always that one club with the velvet rope and a bouncer who acted like he was the President of Admission. He’d stand there wearing a look that said, Don’t even breathe unless I tell you to. Anyone who made it past him practically walked inside with a halo floating above their head and “Stayin’ Alive” playing as their personal theme song.

To get inside, some of my friends came armed with their shimmering, laminated salvation: fake IDs. I can still remember the glossy cards with photos that looked nothing like them—wrong hair color, crooked typewriter fonts, and birthdays that magically aged them several years. One girl’s ID had her labeled as 22 when she barely had a learner’s permit in her wallet! Somehow, the bouncer looked at those ridiculous pieces of plastic and nodded like they were government-issued.

Meanwhile, I never had a fake ID, but I somehow slipped past the rope without ever being carded. I wasn’t sure whether to feel complimented or insulted. Did I look old? Worn out? Obviously mature beyond my years? Or did he just think I was someone’s babysitter?

Looking back, I laugh at how hard we tried to be “somebody.” We were desperate to fit in, to be older, cooler, funnier, prettier—anything but the awkward teenagers we truly were. Today, the fake ID has been replaced with digital identity. Now, you don’t even need to open your mouth before someone knows your name, age, blood type, and what you ate last week. It’s convenient, yes, but also a little creepy! Still, I guess it beats the flimsy laminated lie of the past.

And funny enough, thinking about those fake IDs makes me think of a truth that’s no joke at all: you can pretend to be someone else at the door of a nightclub, but you can’t fake who you are before God. He doesn’t need a card reader or facial recognition. He already knows every piece of our story—past, present, and what we’ll look like when gray hairs cover our heads like disco glitter.

“O LORD, you have searched me and known me.” — Psalm 139:1

We tried to fool the world, but we could never fool Him. Isn’t that both humbling and comforting? There’s no need to pretend when the One who made us already knows who we really are.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for knowing us fully and loving us completely, even when we try to be someone we’re not. Help us live honestly and confidently in the identity You’ve given us. Teach us to find joy in who You created us to be, without needing to hide behind fake versions of ourselves. Guide our steps, guard our hearts, and let Your truth be the only ID we ever need to carry.
Amen.