There is an identity crisis in the world today where so many are confused about who they are. You’ve all seen it, it’s everywhere. Every single person around you has questioned who they are and struggled to come to terms with their own identity. There are countless ways that someone may express their struggle in identity. There are also many different ways that the world tries to placate those insecurities.
“I just need to find myself”
A lot of people say this phrase in their life. Whether it’s a high school student trying to figure out the next step in life, or an adult stepping away from a relationship, and many other scenarios. The point is the world tells you that you need to “find yourself” through things or experiences or people. We’ve already talked about where we ought to find our identity, which is through Christ. So why do we keep trying to find ourselves through stuff the world offers? The answer is a big God sized hole.
Humans were created by God, for God so then without God, we are incomplete. We have a hole in our life that only God fits into. We try to fill it every way possible and it feels so good for a minute but the desire comes back. Jesus says in John; “But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” John 4:14 He fills our never ending thirst so that we no longer have that hole and desire in us.
Many in our society say they genuinely don’t feel comfortable in their own bodies. They identify as something other than who God made them to be. Which is fearfully and wonderfully made, knit together in their mother’s womb, molded by God, perfectly.
I don’t need to convince you that the Bible is very clear on God’s opinion about this subject. It’s written all over scripture, Old Testament, New Testament, Jesus, Prophesies, and so on. The Bible is so clear on our identity, but unfortunately most deny the truth because it makes them uncomfortable to face the reality. The truth is they are loved by God, born into a sin filled world. Where the only way to truly feel secure is through an identity in Christ.
They identify as gender confused, sexually confused, species confused and so on hoping that a new identity might finally make them feel whole. It’s very sad to see so many people hurting and missing a part of themselves while trying to fill it at the very depth of their being by changing their identity completely.
It hurts me to see someone who was created by God, saying they believe they were born in the wrong body and don’t feel comfortable with the body they have. I want to wrap them in my arms and tell them they are loved beyond belief and they are perfect just the way God made them. I’ve heard the reasoning, and from the outside it sounds like a good reason. It sounds like they were lost but now they’re found. But are they really found, or are they stuffed full of Satan’s lies to temporarily plug the whole?
When we are missing God as the center of our life the world so easily ensnares us and sweet talks us. Satan is the father of lies and his mission is to steal, kill and destroy, and what better way to do that than to tell you that your very existence is flawed and worthless? That no matter how hard you try, you’ll never be good enough. But truth is you simply aren’t good enough, on your own.
But the missing piece in this concept is that, yes we aren’t good enough but that’s because we have a gaping hole in need of being filled by only God. Stuffing feelings and identities and drugs and food and sex or porn or whatever else we try to fill the hole with will never work because they just fall through the other side. It’s a sad life when you leave the hole unfilled yet walk through life with things falling out and trailing behind you.
Just because you are a Christian doesn’t mean your hole is filled, it’s smaller but unless God is the absolute center of your life then you have not filled that hole. I have been a Christian all my life yet I’m still struggling with keeping God at the center. I’ve felt the hole and it feels like a piece of you is gone, like you are unwhole, like you are imperfect. Like you don’t know who you are or where you’re going. Like you have no hope to ever feel whole.
But my hole was there because I was trying to get my satisfaction from people or feelings and not from God, he was just a hat I wore on my head. To keep God at the center you must embrace the ideas we’ve discussed in this series thus far, keep your mind and thoughts focused on God, seek Him in every circumstance, trust in His plan for your life, pray continually, stand out from the crowd and live differently, don’t fall into the pattern of this world. And finally be firm in your identity as a created child of God, complete and whole.
“Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” Ephesians 3:17-19
“He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:15-17
“The Lord gave me this message: “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” “O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!” The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” Jeremiah 1:4-8
Many people, Christians even, preach this false gospel that God is love and you can be gay and Christian because He is love and He wants you to feel all the love. I hate to break it to you, but have you read the Bible? God may be the definition of love, but love and acceptance are two very different things. Love also means discipline and correction. God is the perfect Father and because of that, He does punish us when we deserve it. The Bible even talks about the consequences of sparing children from discipline and its not pretty. David, who was a man after God’s own heart never disciplined his kids, and they tried to kill him(1 Kings 1:6). So I’m pretty sure it’s not the mark of a perfect Father to leave your kids to their own desires. If you want more on the subject of being LGBTQ+ and Christian, I have several posts filled with scripture on how to approach it.
So there it is, the secret to an identity in Christ. I guess you could call it the secret of the universe. Nothing will ever feel whole without Christ. Things can go well and we can live an almost perfect life. We can even be happy without Christ. But there is no possible way to be completely whole, joyful, and satisfied without Christ at the very core of your being. If anyone tells you differently, they are selling something.
I hope you enjoyed this series on Identity and Purpose. My goal is to help you become rooted in Christ and ready to face life. This series went over every aspect of life with the focus of Identity. If you missed a segment, you can find it the archives. I highly encourage you to study the verses I’ve supplied throughout this series. If you have any questions or just need someone to turn to for advice, I’m always here, just email me.
Deep Thoughts With Nakia 