When You Wonder WhySample

How Do I Know Who I Am?

“How do I know who I am in today’s society?” -Alexa, 15, Texas

One of the biggest lies of modern culture is that we get to choose who we are. You might believe your identity is something you discover over time or create for yourself by looking inward, learning about yourself and following your heart and dreams, but that’s not true.

The truth is who we are isn’t something we discover, make or change on our own, but something we have received from the God who created us. God is the Creator, and we are his creation. He has already determined who we are, our purpose in the world and what’s best for us.

As Christians, part of our task is to celebrate how God cherishes and works in each of us. God shows us each what he wants us to be in his Word. As we embrace who he made us to be, we’ll discover that the identity God gives us as his creation is greater and more meaningful than any identity we could create for ourselves. Acting like we are our own creators and masters will always lead to sin and death, but God’s plans for us lead to life and freedom.

Because our identities are bound up in the way God created us, the way to discover who we are is to start by learning more about who God is. The more we follow God’s ways and live in a loving relationship with him, the more we’ll become like him and live into our identities as his children with unique gifts, created for his good purposes.