The big question these days seems to be identity. "Am I gay or straight?" "Am I a male or a female?" "Am I the job I do or am I more?" "Am I like my parents or am I something else?" We're always trying to "find myself." "I don't even know who I am anymore!" So we have sexual identity and gender identity and work identity and family identity and on and on. What's right? What's true? How will we know and how will we know when we do find ourselves if it's the right self? So very confusing.
How you determine your identity is a direct result of how you view the world -- your worldview. If you're a materialist, we're a biochemical bag and "Who am I?" is a mostly pointless question. You are either nothing of consequence, really, or you are anything at all you convince yourself you are. Either way, it doesn't really matter. Maybe you are looking for your identity in your emotions. "What makes me feel right?" That's sure to be vague and fleeting, since emotions are vague and fleeting. If you take a Christian worldview, you're going to have to look elsewhere. Not in nature and not in feelings. If yours is a Christian worldview, you must draw your true identity from the One who made you.
What do we know? We know that part of our identity is found in the fact that we are made in the image of God (Gen 1:26; Gen 9:6). That gives every human being God-designated worth. We know that God created us male and female (Gen 1:27); our gender identity is not in question. We know that believers are adopted into the family of God (John 1:12; Rom 8:15), providing a more sure and eternal family identity. We know that the Spirit gives gifts to every believer -- no exceptions (1 Cor 12:4-7). Each of us has a God-given role in the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13-27). We know that we are identified in Christ as righteous (2 Cor 5:21). That's just for starters.
You might struggle with identity. I would argue that it is a lie from Satan. The best place to find your identity is in the eyes of the Maker. His Word is not unclear. His intentions are not vague. His goodness is not in question. His accuracy is perfect. And the identity that God has created for each of us really is a good identity.
2 comments:
So if i claim to identify with something, does that make me the very thing that i identify with? if i am actually white, and i identify with being black, does that make me a black person? only in a world where people have lost all hope of reason, is this type of thinking acceptable. on the other hand, many Christians suffer identity crisis because they don't properly identity with who they actually are, children of the living God. to those that are perishing, it matters little with what they identify with, because they are dead in sin. but to the child of God, it is absolutely necessary to realize our place in Christ.
Yes ... except in this current world you can be male and claim to be another gender (of a whole range of possibilities), but you CANNOT be white and claim to be black. That's just ridiculous.
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