Have you ever asked yourself the question, Who am I? Underlying this question may be thoughts like “Do I matter?”, “What is my purpose?” or “Am I important?”
I have asked myself this question over the years. I have become aware that over time I have allowed other people and circumstances of life to define who I am. Let’s talk about some ways this can happen.
You tried out for a sport’s team and didn’t make the cut. You thought to yourself, “I’m not good enough.”
Your parents divorced. You thought to yourself, “I don’t fit into this family anymore.”
You were abused. You thought to yourself, “It’s all my fault.”
You were the child that always got into trouble and your sibling was an angel. You thought to yourself, “I’m a screw up.”
You were selected over 2 other people for a great job. You thought to yourself, “I’m the best thing since sliced bread.”
You got married and it ended in divorce. You thought to yourself, “I’m not lovable.”
You made straight A’s in school. You thought to yourself, “I am acceptable.”
And on and on the list could go. The thoughts that we have after these events have created a set of beliefs about ourselves that we have taken a hold of and lived out.
When we were born God created us with a set of needs that only He had the ability to meet. They are the need for love, acceptance, worth and security. An easy way to remember these is with the acronym LAWS. But you see, we were born not knowing anything about God. So we looked to the people and circumstances closest to us to meet these needs. For some these needs were met with flying colors creating a sense of competency. For others these needs failed to be met and a sense of uncertainty and loss was created.
Whether those needs were met well or poorly, if Christ is not the ultimate source for getting these needs met, we are living out of a false identity. We have answered the question, “Who am I?”, with the outcomes of what our life circumstances have taught us.
Recognizing the source of our identity is vital for our emotional and spiritual health. When Christ reveals to us the faulty source of our identity, He shows us in His word the exchange He wants us to make.
Let’s look at Ephesians 2 to see who Christ says we are no matter what good or bad circumstances life has thrown our way.
(Ephesians 2:4) – God loves me (meets my need for love)
(Ephesians 2:5) – God made me alive with Christ even when I was dead in sins (meets my need for acceptance)
(Ephesians 2:6) – I am raised with Christ and seated with him in heaven (meets my need for security)
(Ephesians 2:10) – I am God’s handiwork (meets my need for worth)
These are just a few of the truths in this passage. I encourage you to go through Ephesians 2 for yourself and pick out all of the ways that Christ has given you an identity that is rooted in Him.
By an act of your will, choose to meditate daily on these truths and choose to reject the lies you have been believing about yourself. Choose today, by faith, to let Christ answer the question, “Who am I?”
At Crossway we love helping people discover their true identity in Christ. We would love to talk with you and help you discover how letting Christ be your life can bring healing and renewal in your life.