--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can base your identity on a thousand…" description: "\"“You can base your identity on a thousand things — the degrees you’ve earned, the positions you hold, the salary you make, the trophies you’ve won, the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/mark-batterson-1137_house-of-cards_you-can-base-your-identity-on-a-thousand_1426967.png" --- # You can base your identity on a thousand things — the… ![“You can base your identity on a thousand things — the degrees you’ve earned, the positions you hold, the salary you make, the trophies you’ve won, the hobbies you have, the way you look, the way you dress, or even the car you drive. But if you base your identity on any of those temporal things…” quote by Mark Batterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/mark-batterson-1137_house-of-cards_you-can-base-your-identity-on-a-thousand_1426967.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/mark-batterson-1137_house-of-cards_you-can-base-your-identity-on-a-thousand_1426967.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/mark-batterson-1137_house-of-cards_you-can-base-your-identity-on-a-thousand_1426967.png) > ““You can base your identity on a thousand things — the degrees you’ve earned, the positions you hold, the salary you make, the trophies you’ve won, the hobbies you have, the way you look, the way you dress, or even the car you drive. But if you base your identity on any of those temporal things, your identity is a house of cards. There is only one solid foundation: Jesus Christ. If you find security in what you have done, you will always fall short of the righteous standard set by the sinless Son of God. The solution? The gospel. There is only one place in which to find your true identity and eternal security: what Christ has done for you.”” [Mark Batterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-batterson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True identity rests on a permanent, spiritual foundation rather than fleeting achievements or possessions. **In simple terms:** Identity should be built on Christ, not temporary things. Key Takeaway Seek lasting security in Christ. Themes faith identity spirituality humility Mood reflective hopeful serene Type spiritual inspirational encouraging When to use this quote - career advancement - social status - material success - personal relationships Key Concepts theology self-concept eternal perspective Questions to Reflect On - What defines you beyond your achievements? - How can you shift focus from self to Christ? A Different Perspective Relying solely on external validation can lead to anxiety and emptiness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Base Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/base-identity-5069451/) [House of cards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/house-of-cards/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Identity Eternal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity-eternal-3519093/) [Identity Temporal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity-temporal-5069452/) [Solid foundation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solid-foundation/) [Son of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son-of-god/) [True identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-identity/) ## Related quotes > [“Illumination is remembering your identity as the eternal spirit and energy that animates all that is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-zernoff/illumination-is-remembering-your-identity-as-the-eternal-spirit-and/) [Raphael Zernoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-zernoff/) > [When we live life centered around what others like, feel, and say, we lose touch with our own identity. I am an eternal being,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neva-coyle/when-we-live-life-centered-around-what-others-like-feel-and-say-we/) [Neva Coyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neva-coyle/) > [There is nothing so simple as being the Self. It requires no effort, no aid. One has to leave off the wrong identity and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramana-maharshi/there-is-nothing-so-simple-as-being-the-self-it-requires-no-effort-no/) [Ramana Maharshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramana-maharshi/) > [“But let today’s idea find a place among your thoughts, and you have risen far above the world and all the worldly thoughts that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-schucman/but-let-today-s-idea-find-a-place-among-your-thoughts-and-you-have/) [Helen Schucman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-schucman/) > [Since Power and prosperity,is God's personal property then, power and prosperity, is a true identity of christianity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/onukwufor-ugonna/since-power-and-prosperity-is-god-s-personal-property-then-power-and/) [Onukwufor Ugonna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/onukwufor-ugonna/) > [I loved the idea that I had an alter-ego but that my true identity was very well known and very much on the surface.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-rhodes/i-loved-the-idea-that-i-had-an-alter-ego-but-that-my-true-identity/) [Cody Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-rhodes/) > [If you have capabilities then the audience will accept you with an open gate. The way you would show them your identity, they will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajpal-yadav/if-you-have-capabilities-then-the-audience-will-accept-you-with-an/) [Rajpal Yadav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajpal-yadav/) > [You never read Spider-Man? Accepting your true identity means understanding that you are a stranger to this world. A freak, ostracized by the very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/you-never-read-spider-man-accepting-your-true-identity-means/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [“Every person's true identity is beautiful, and much of the ugliness we observe in others was put inside of them by external influences.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/every-person-s-true-identity-is-beautiful-and-much-of-the-ugliness-we/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [Having faith in the plan of salvation includes steadfastly refusing to be diverted from our true identities and responsibilities. In the brief season of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/having-faith-in-the-plan-of-salvation-includes-steadfastly-refusing/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) > [“There's a unique substance in each one of us. A raw matter known as the child, pure and impressionable, flexible enough to be molded.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zohreh-ghahremani/there-s-a-unique-substance-in-each-one-of-us-a-raw-matter-known-as/) [Zohreh Ghahremani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zohreh-ghahremani/) > [ \[Rumi\] is trying to get us to feel the vastness of our true identity... like the sense you might get walking into a cathedral... ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coleman-barks/rumi-is-trying-to-get-us-to-feel-the-vastness-of-our-true-identity/) [Coleman Barks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coleman-barks/) > [I stopped reading music reviews because it's somebody having a knee-jerk reaction to a song. I realized that that's not the definitive interpretation. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-roberts/i-stopped-reading-music-reviews-because-it-s-somebody-having-a-knee/) [Sam Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-roberts/) > [My Chosen Daughter, No one can define you without your permission. I want you to be so secure in who you are in Me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/god/my-chosen-daughter-no-one-can-define-you-without-your-permission-i/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/god/) > [“The aristocratic interiority is centered on the higher mind, the mens, the ajna chakra, the seat of intellect and intuition that commands the lower…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-evola/the-aristocratic-interiority-is-centered-on-the-higher-mind-the-mens/) [Julius Evola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-evola/) ## More by Mark Batterson > [“The path of least resistance never gets us where we want to go. Shortcuts always end up being cul-de-sacs. The key to spiritual growth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-batterson/the-path-of-least-resistance-never-gets-us-where-we-want-to-go/) [Mark Batterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-batterson/) > [If you've never had a God-sized dream that scared you half to death, then you haven't really come to life. If you've never been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-batterson/if-you-ve-never-had-a-god-sized-dream-that-scared-you-half-to-death/) [Mark Batterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-batterson/) > [Part of my driving desire as a pastor is to remove every obstacle except the cross that would keep people from coming to faith…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-batterson/part-of-my-driving-desire-as-a-pastor-is-to-remove-every-obstacle/) [Mark Batterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-batterson/) > [The Bible is the place where God bears His soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-batterson/the-bible-is-the-place-where-god-bears-his-soul/) [Mark Batterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-batterson/) > [One God idea is worth more than a thousand good ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-batterson/one-god-idea-is-worth-more-than-a-thousand-good-ideas/) [Mark Batterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-batterson/) > [“even if the people could no longer hear God, he believed that God could still hear them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-batterson/even-if-the-people-could-no-longer-hear-god-he-believed-that-god/) [Mark Batterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-batterson/) > [“100 percent of the prayers I don’t pray won’t get answered.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-batterson/100-percent-of-the-prayers-i-don-t-pray-won-t-get-answered/) [Mark Batterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-batterson/) > [“You can’t play the man if you don’t pray the price. That’s how God turns the heart. You’ll never be a perfect parent, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-batterson/you-can-t-play-the-man-if-you-don-t-pray-the-price-that-s-how-god/) [Mark Batterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-batterson/) > [The antidote for fear of failure is not success but small doses of failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-batterson/the-antidote-for-fear-of-failure-is-not-success-but-small-doses-of/) [Mark Batterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-batterson/) > [God is in the résumé-building business. He is always using past experiences to prepare us for future opportunities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-batterson/god-is-in-the-r-sum-building-business-he-is-always-using-past/) [Mark Batterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-batterson/) > [“Society's goal is to make us less foolish. From the cradle to grave the pressure is on: "Be normal!" Our inner fool may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-batterson/society-s-goal-is-to-make-us-less-foolish-from-the-cradle-to-grave/) [Mark Batterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-batterson/) > [If you aren't hungry for God, you are full of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-batterson/if-you-aren-t-hungry-for-god-you-are-full-of-yourself/) [Mark Batterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-batterson/) > [In my experience, take the Holy Spirit out of the equation of your life and it spells boring. Add it into the equation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-batterson/in-my-experience-take-the-holy-spirit-out-of-the-equation-of-your/) [Mark Batterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-batterson/) > [When we cling too tightly to what God did last, we often miss what God wants to do next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-batterson/when-we-cling-too-tightly-to-what-god-did-last-we-often-miss-what-god/) [Mark Batterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-batterson/) > [Uniqueness isn't a virtue. It's a responsibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-batterson/uniqueness-isn-t-a-virtue-it-s-a-responsibility/) [Mark Batterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-batterson/) [Explore all 283 Mark Batterson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-batterson/) ## More House of cards quotes > [Whether Theresa May had stabbed has stabbed the former Mayor of London in the back and Michael Gove had stabbed him in the front.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-evans/whether-theresa-may-had-stabbed-has-stabbed-the-former-mayor-of/) [Nigel Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-evans/) > [It's so amazing that you can give somebody like David Fincher 'House of Cards,' and he can do whatever he wants - Netflix doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-lynch/it-s-so-amazing-that-you-can-give-somebody-like-david-fincher-house/) [Jane Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-lynch/) > [For the fundamentalist who wants to believe every word of the Bible, however, life is a house of cards, with each card a tenet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morris-sullivan/for-the-fundamentalist-who-wants-to-believe-every-word-of-the-bible/) [Morris Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morris-sullivan/) > [Remove the predators, and the whole ecosystem begins to crash like a house of cards. As the sharks disappear, the predator-prey balance dramatically shifts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-skerry/remove-the-predators-and-the-whole-ecosystem-begins-to-crash-like-a/) [Brian Skerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-skerry/) > [The casting of any film is around 60% of the film, but it's also about the right casting insight. It's a bit like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/the-casting-of-any-film-is-around-60-of-the-film-but-it-s-also-about/) [Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/) > [Where does our investigation get its importance from, since it seems only to destroy everything interesting, that is, all that is great and important?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-wittgenstein/where-does-our-investigation-get-its-importance-from-since-it-seems/) [Ludwig Wittgenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-wittgenstein/) > [I love 'House of Cards,' I love 'Bloodline,' I love 'Orange is the New Black,' so I had written on my refrigerator that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krysten-ritter/i-love-house-of-cards-i-love-bloodline-i-love-orange-is-the-new-black/) [Krysten Ritter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krysten-ritter/) > [The Eastern front is like a house of cards. If the front is broken through at one point all the rest will collapse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-guderian/the-eastern-front-is-like-a-house-of-cards-if-the-front-is-broken/) [Heinz Guderian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-guderian/) > [ I have talked to more people who are in politics who have said to me, "\[House of Cards\] is closer than you can imagine.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-spacey/i-have-talked-to-more-people-who-are-in-politics-who-have-said-to-me/) [Kevin Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-spacey/) > [David and I enjoy a relaxed meal around 8. We like to eat on the couch while we watch TV. Sometimes we channel-flip, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bush/david-and-i-enjoy-a-relaxed-meal-around-8-we-like-to-eat-on-the-couch/) [Lauren Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bush/) > [We don't have a problem killing off characters on 'House of Cards.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kelly/we-don-t-have-a-problem-killing-off-characters-on-house-of-cards/) [Michael Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kelly/) > [But a man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with only an argument. ... If we can lead people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-tenney/but-a-man-with-an-experience-is-never-at-the-mercy-of-a-man-with-only/) [Tommy Tenney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-tenney/) > [Making a movie is still very difficult in Hollywood, regardless of what you have and what level you're at. 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