Identity

We all want to know who we are and why we are here. For me, having a sense of purpose is everything. I am the type of person that needs a "why" to what I am doing.

However, not too long ago, the Lord brought to me a realization that identity was not as much about doing as about being.

Identity can be given in many ways. To list a few: God, the world, others and self. Let's start at the end of this list and work our way forward.

Self

The words we use toward ourself have more power than we often realize. Stop and take a moment to think, when is the last time you spoke, outloud, something nice about yourself. I'm not talking mere physicality here. I'm talking your inner self.

You see, if we are bold enough to look at ourselves with sober judgement, we can see things inside that we are actually good at. Things that come naturally to us.

The problem is, we have been trained either to repeat over and over the fluffy trumped up good things about ourself (which we may or may not beieve), or to negate and downplay our strengths.

Neither is good.

Sober judgement, is being able to objectively look at yourself, see how you were designed and recognize the strengths that are hardwired in you.

I am good with words. I always have been. I haven't always used them well or for the correct purpose, but I can easily come up with words quickly, and in such a way that people enjoy.

Whether this is used to write, or teach, or impart counsel, words come naturally to me. There is something in your life that is the same, possibly more than one thing.

And no, it is not arrogant to recognize your strengths. It is essential. Arrogance can come and can be a problem, that is where you need to understand where your true identity comes from.

Keep reading.

Others

This one is huge, especially if you are a natural people pleaser. So many people speak into your life from the time you are born. Your parents speak into you, for good or bad. Siblings speak into you, for good or bad. Grandparents, teachers, pastors, friends, enemies, you name it, they speak into you.

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.

Wow. I can tell you that was written by someone who was hurt over and over by words and needed a way to protect themselves. I would bet that anytime someone finds themselves repeating the above words it is because they have already been hurt by those words.

Words are powerful. God, the creator of this entire universe (and others if there happen to be more), spoke everything into existence with words. And we were made in His image. Except for God's love, you can't convince me that there is anything more powerful on this earth than words. Except maybe thoughts, which are really just unspoken words.

With that comes the understanding, that what the people in your life have spoken over you can become your identity, whether you want them to or not. Especially if you don't know your true identity.

Keep reading.

The World

A lot of people will believe this to be the same as "others". It is not. You see this world has already categorized humans. I suppose, in essence it is our culture, or established nuances that we tend to place people in. For example: where, when, and how you are born, or even conceived, begins to set in an identity.

Whether you were adopted, born out of wedlock, born into money, or born with no money; what color your skin is, what color your parents' skin is, to Christian parents, to teen parents...the list can go on and on.

If you say you are a Christian in this country, you are almost certainly ascribed a definition of identity before people even know you. If you say you are not a Christian you are almost certainly ascribed a definition of identity before people even know you.

The world has its dictionary of identity ready to go, and it starts defining you from the moment you were conceived.

Keep reading.

God

The only real and true place to find your identity is in Jesus. He created/designed you and therefore is the only one who can truly define you.

God and God alone, knows who you are.

If you want to know your true identity, you need to get to know the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. God, as One, knows who you are and what you were designed to do.

For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. - Ephesians 2:10 [NIV]

You are created in Jesus. He designed you and prepared in advance things for you to do that go along with that identity. He wouldn't design you as a hammer and then give you the work of a screwdriver!

Now sometimes, He does ask us to do things that we don't feel like we are good at. Most of the time that is to show us something about who He is in us.

Here's the thing. Remember when I said identity is far more about being than doing? That is because as you begin to let God define who you are, what you do flows from that. You don't do and then define yourself from that. You learn to be and what you do flows from that.

Bottom line: You want to know your true identity? You need to get to know Jesus. The closer and closer you get to Him, and the more and more you get to know Him, the more you will find out about yourself.

When your focus is off yourself, and intensely on knowing Him and who He is, you will find youself.

For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. - Matthew 16:25 [NIV]

This isn't just talking about martyrdom. It is also talking about focusing so much on Jesus that knowing Him and wanting what He wants becomes more important than any other thing in life.

The beautiful thing is, when that happens we start finding who we truly are...our true identity.

Where will you seek to define your identity?