Where do you find yourself?

Hannah Sterling
Dec 4, 2018
4 min read

Do you ever find yourself trying to find yourself in the things you think make you who you are instead of finding and knowing who you are in Christ. I know I do. I often can put my hope in those temporary things, even if it's for 5 minutes. The other day driving down the road, I did exactly that. I thought of some things that I felt make me who I am and soaked in them. It's sort of like soaking dirty laundry in dirty water; it doesn't get you to a cleaner, more clarified and identified state at all. If anything, the laundry gets dirtier than before, soaking in its own filth. So what are these things we identify ourselves with? Maybe it's something about our personality that feels consistent, or maybe it's something we do that identifies us. It could also be belongings, circumstances, or surrounding people and relationships. Sometimes, people can even look to find who they are in their Christian way of life. Say what?! Yes, this is true. All of these things are very true and are very unhealthy for the soul if they are the filler instead of God.

It's really easy to do this. Why? Well, we all want to have a purpose because we were made for a purpose. The purpose we were made for though does not have anything to do with who we are, but has everything to do with who God is.

Trying to find identity somewhere other than God alone is never fulfilling and always confusing. Clarity and peace leave, and we being to feel all sorts of ways. I am not saying things that make us who we are are bad things, it's just the fact that identity can't be completely found in oneself. Identity has to be found in Christ, the one who created us and knows more about us than we will ever know. Finding our identity in our Creator brings clarity, peace, and direction.

Not finding our identity in Christ is a type of identity theft. If our true identity is in Christ, then we have to make sure we don't have it stolen by all the things that seem like they might define us better. We have to be on the lookout to make sure we don't lose what we think is our identity to worthless things or things that can't complete us. God gives us the strength and confidence we need to choose Him every time, we just have to make the decision.

These photos are some of my sisters senior pictures that I snapped the other day. Pictures in our generation have become something of a different value if you are on any kind of social media. Pictures are much more than just a digital painting full of a moment. Now, pictures are judged by each follower, each skeptic, each friend even, each and every person. Most of the time a person looks at a picture and thinks one of billions of things: 1. I am better. 2. They are better. 3. Nice picture. 4. Wow I wish I had that. 5. Way to go! 6. Gosh they shouldn't have posted that. 7. Oh, this reminds me...Have you head about this or that?

Of course, there are lots of other thoughts that come into peoples heads, but we tend to have a hard time just looking at a picture with no response or competition of some sort. (Side note: There is always a reason why we post a picture. Next time you post something ask yourself why you are posting it and what your motive is.There typically is always a reason. If there isn't a reason then you probably should consider that we are dealing with a global internet and randomness might not be a good idea.)

These pictures of Liz are so sweet and pretty to me. She is my sister and I love her, but a good, simple example of identity theft could be found right here. Liz could choose to let these pretty pictures steal her identity. Liz could let the way she looks steal her identity (whether she thinks this looks good or bad). Liz could let the senior status and decisions steal her identity. Will she go to school? Will she date anyone? What is she going to be? You see? But none of those things can complete her. God completes her with his steadfast enduring love that tells us exactly who we are in Him. Just read His word, talk to Him. I promise God won't leave you high and dry if you seek him. He loves you and wants to show you who you are in Him. He wants to show you who the real you is.

Don't hold back from fully embracing and experiencing the living God who loves us completely and gives us a life of completion in Him!