By Francis Judge
When I came to know Christ, or as I now understand, to be known by him, one of the first things I realised had changed in myself was that I was no longer trying to fit in! I discovered I had a new identity, even though I hadn’t been looking for anything related to identity.
Our identity is grounded in the image of God in us, though it was the focal interest of many of the early psychologists, who saw it in one light or another as part of the core of our being. Yet, in a deeply authentic way, it isn’t a thing at all in itself; it is the result of something more fundamental and also more obvious, and still somehow at the heart of our beings.
Finding our identity becomes a driving force for many people. We seek to find it in social groups, work, sport, appearance, philanthropy, politics, and many other causes. These things all bring at least a degree of satisfaction to us, but in the end, our sense of identity is, at best, incomplete. This search can correctly be understood as part of the search for the meaning of life.
In fact, a good way to think about identity is to think about it in terms of our “sense” of it. That is, how we regard and understand our identity. It is rooted in our creation by a good and loving God. Our perception of our identity has been warped by our actual understanding of that creator God. It is because of the goodness and care of God that doing good and caring gives us such a strong sense of purpose and identity – because they reflect those aspects of God (ideas that are deeply linked). However, without an adequate revelation of this loving creator God and embracing Him on His own terms, we will ultimately lack a sufficient sense of our own identity.
If you have kept with me thus far, there remains only one meaningful question left to ask: where can we find a sense of our identity? Independently, it is ultimately impossible because this is a denial of our fundamental nature, created by God for fellowship. So, any attempt in that direction is destined, ultimately, to failure.
If you had been hoping for a “one size fits all” list to find your identity, I am sorry to disappoint you. I believe that while there are common elements to human identity, there is also a unique element for each individual that can only be discovered by embracing the vocation that God has called you to. This requires us to engage personally with God for ourselves.
There are two major take-aways from this reflection. First, each one of us has an identity; and we can discover this identity. However, we will be frustrated in our search if we try to do so in isolation from God. Then, identity is linked to purpose and purpose is found by embracing what we have been called to be and do.
Spend time with God, ask Him the question about what He has called us to be and do. He only has good for us and so trust Him to give you that answer.