If someone asked you the deceptively simple question, “Who are you?” what would you say in reply? Your name, no doubt, and perhaps your occupation. But those things don’t define you. They do not determine who you really are. Your character, morals, ethical code, dreams, priorities, and goals – shouldn’t they be the kinds of things that define you?
Whether consciously or subconsciously, all of us have some awareness of our ‘identity’ – who we really are, not just externally, but in our hearts. This kind of thing can’t really be expressed in words, so we tend to attach it to our biggest dreams or goals. For a rich person, their identity might be their wealth. With that wealth comes certain lifestyle choices, pride, other wealthy acquaintances, and often a drive for more wealth… This all becomes their identity.
But then what happens if, for whatever reason, they lose their wealth? History can help us with that one. In 2009 during the global financial crisis, the suicide rate in America increased by a whole 6.4%. Possibly, some people just found that they had nothing to live for anymore. And that’s the problem – when we attach our identity to something, when we lose that something (by our own doing, by someone else’s, or just plain bad luck) we feel devastated, maybe even losing the will to carry on.
On the other hand, basing our identity in Christ ensures a stable identity that will never fade – the only stable identity you can have, in fact.
But surely if you just based your identity in a good virtue then it’d be fine, right? Well, let’s suppose you decided to make selflessness the basis of your identity. Selflessness is generally viewed as a quality we should strive towards, yet if it became your identity – to always comply with the wishes of others before your own – then everyone would walk over you all your life. And that would probably leave you depressed as surely as the pursuit of wealth would.
But this raises other questions. Supposing that entrusting your identity to God is truly the only stable form of identity, how do we respond to the conflicting messages we receive from our largely-secular society regarding what our life’s aims and focus should be? Our society values power, wealth, fame, and above all, the pleasure it brings – but God requires none of these things of us. So when the temptation to indulge in such pleasures comes knocking, how do we stay true to our identity in Christ?
The answer is simple, but can be oh-so-difficult to carry out. Talk to God. Ask for his help. Read about his son Jesus in the Bible, so that you might understand what a godly life looks like. Associate with people who have your best interests at heart and will continually challenge you to keep up the good fight.
In the end, it’s our choice how we live and what we live for. It’s our responsibility to mould our own identity. Hopefully that identity will be moulded around Christ, because otherwise all the pleasures in the world will not be enough to fill the void.
Observations 