Identity: Introduction

(Repost from my FB notes)

God has been teaching me about identity lately...asking myself Who am I? And how do I live as myself, not as a pretender. Seems that several people I have talked to have reported similar stories. So, what I originally started as a personal project, I want to open up to you so that we can help each other in our journeys. I want to write a series of notes on this subject...I have some ideas floating around in my head, but no definitive plans. It's gonna be a trial and error type thing with possible false starts and dead ends. But isn't that the way every journey is?

 So, here's the question: Who am I? What am I doing here? What is my role in God's plan? I'm sure everyone thinks about this question from time to time...especially at my age.

Some people ignore the question. The world offers a multitude of distractions for people of all interests. Whether it be video gaming, thrill seeking, knowledge gathering, shopping, or whatever—the world does its very best to blind us. And we take the bait. Why? Because it’s convenient. When you take on the question of identity you will inevitably end up facing God Himself. And that’s a scary place to be even for the righteous: Moses, Daniel, Isaiah…How much scarier for us? When you face the question of who you are you are forced to take off every mask that you hide behind. You become exposed for who you really are. And let’s face it, most of us don’t really want other people to know the real you. Because if someone found out who you really are, they might not accept you—at least that’s what runs through our heads. So we put on the mask—concealing our own identity and blinding us to the truth.
 
If you want to search out this question with me, I suggest you find a way to record your thoughts. Journaling is the simplest way, but you can get creative. If you like doodling, maybe you can express your thoughts on a doodle pad. Or with internet chatting, you can have a discussion with a friend and just save the conversation. Or if you want to share with others, blogging is really good too (just make sure to tag me or send me a link).

I want to hear your thoughts...this is a journey for me as well. How does one find his identity? How does one live true to himself? I don't have it figured out. I'm studying it and I have ideas I want to share. But I don't have it all figured out.

One more thing before I close out here. Finding who you are is a journey. It is not something that you can complete in 30 days or even 30 years. This is your life; this is who you are and you are constantly growing. Getting to know yourself is like getting to know God—it is a life-long process. You might feel overwhelmed by this fact. “How can I do this? It’s too much.” But turn it around. What if you could find your identity in 30 days? Do you really want to be a 30-day person? God created us with depth and beauty such that the deepest levels can never be found and the most glorious beauties are only seen by Him. We are fearfully and wonderfully made! Do not reduce yourself to a category or a statistic or a 12-step program. Rather, take a walk with the Father and allow Him to reveal the beauty He placed in you.