This is a question that plagues most of us at some point during our lifetime.  For Christians it’s even more intense as it is often connected to the question, “Am I doing what God wants me to be doing”.  These questions point us to one word…Identity.  Over time the word identity has come to include everything from physical characteristics to what roles and activities we fulfill.   So some would say that being a father, husband, doctor, etc. is our identity.  I believe scripture simplifies it even more.

When we come to the end of life there are only two identities that matter…Are we an enemy of God or a child of God?   There is no fence riding.  It doesn’t matter at that point if you have brown eyes or blue, if you are a wife or a doctor.  It only matters whether you have chosen to fully trust in Jesus Christ as your savior or you have trusted in something else (self, money, etc.)  This identity is referred to and described in multiple places in scripture including Romans 8 and James 4 to name a couple.

As believers we are given the Holy Spirit which testifies with ours that we are sons and daughters of God.  Our identity matters so much so that God gave the Holy Spirit to remind us of it constantly.  Note he didn’t send anyone to remind us of our physical features or roles.  James reminds us that if we love the world instead, we are enemies of God.

This principle was shown to me when we adopted 9 kids at once. I ended up having to quit my job and help settle everything at home.  I looked forward to being free from work only later to feel such a grief and loss of who I was. My whole identity was wrapped up in what I did rather than my identity in Christ.  In some ways I still loved the world and my abilities.  It took a process of a year and a half to finally become secure in my identity as a child of God regardless of career, roles, or activities.  The first step to really knowing who you are is knowing your identity.

I would boldly say that until that you understand your identity, you are not able to fully understand your purpose..

Read Who Am I Part 2