In the quiet of the night, I found myself awake at 2:00 a.m. This is usually the time when I attempt to solve the world’s problems (haha). It’s likely because everything is so quiet; there are no distractions, and my mind starts to sort through what my heart is feeling.
The problem that night??? Me, I was the problem. I was contemplating whether I was living my life the way God intended me to live. Or, was I living my life the way others want me to live?
Questions like ‘Who am I?’ and ‘Why am I here?’ are among the most common questions we ask ourselves. We think:
- I just need to find myself.
- Does my life have a purpose, or am I just existing?
- Do I even matter?”
- Who am I supposed to be?
When I was a young mom, I would help out in my son’s class and hear kids call me ‘Mrs. Micah.’ At the playground, I was known as Hannah’s mom, and to my husband’s coworkers, I was Mrs. Braden. Sometimes I would think to myself, ‘You know, I have my own name.’ It felt like my identity was lost in the roles I played for others.
Often, we define ourselves by who others say we are and by our own perceptions. We are labeled and identified according to the standards of others and our roles in life. Our own thoughts often contradict our true identity. There can be a gap between who we were created to be and how we are currently living.
Image-Bearers of God
So who are we and how can we know? The very first thing God says about us is in Genesis 1:27, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
At our most foundational level, we are image-bearers of the Most High God. God placed His nature and character in each of us. Our identity rests solely in the fact that we are children of the King of kings and Lord of lords. We are royalty, and our identity in Christ is something bestowed on us by Him alone. It isn’t earned; it is how we were created. We have inherent worth simply by being a child of God. We are made complete in Christ.
To understand who we are, we must understand who God is. If we are to be reflections of God’s image, then we need to know Him. This comes from times of solitude in Him through prayer and Bible reading. In this, we will find who we are and our purpose on this earth.
When we don’t know who God is, we will adopt a false identity. We will believe things about ourselves that aren’t true. If we pay more attention to others’ views of us, rather than God’s view of us, we will live with a broken identity. Misunderstanding who God made us to be brings problems: we make decisions that devalue ourselves, invite hurt and pain, ruin relationships, and live dissatisfied lives.
When we embrace our identity as image-bearers of God, we walk in our royal positions. We make decisions that bring value to ourselves and others. We will reflect who God is to this world.
Our identity is given to us by God. Our value is inherent because we are made in His image. We find our identity securely wrapped in God as we trust in Him. Placing our trust in anyone or anything else will distort our perception of who we truly are.
So who are you? As a believer in Christ, you are a child of the Most High God. 1 Peter 2:9 beautifully describes you as, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
You are:
- Chosen
- Royalty
- Holy
- God’s special child
- A worshiper of God
- Called from darkness to live in light
Today, take time to reflect and rejoice in the beautiful person God made you to be. Let your identity be defined by Him alone as you choose to reflect His image in the world.
May you continue to live…
Rooted in Him,
