I was sitting in church a couple of Sunday’s ago, and I was seeking to hear a message that really spoke to me. I was listening to the Pastor at the beginning of the service and he told us what the topic was going to be for the night: Identity. Immediately I perked up and I was ready to listen. I’m not having an identity crisis or anything, but I think what really caught my attention about this subject is the idea of creating a loving identity. A loving identity for yourself to see, and for others to see.

It is the young age that really puts a person into an “identity crisis.” One day you’re punk rock and you dye your hair blue and wear black clothes. The next day you dye your hair blonde and you love the color pink and floral patterns. Discovering your identity may take a few wrong turns, but it is important not to completely lose yourself in the process of trying to find yourself.

It is difficult to determine what true identity really means. I don’t know what it means, but I do know that external lies should not be the voices that you listen to. Determining your identity depends on you and God alone. Everything else on the outside is just useless. Don’t be put down, and don’t second guess yourself because something or someone tells you who you are. External forces don’t know you. They don’t know what you’re capable of. They don’t know how powerful you are. They just assume you are what they think you are and you let them believe it.

I’m not saying to go out of your way to prove who you are to somebody that thinks differently. Like I stated before, everything on the outside is useless when it comes to figuring yourself out. Don’t spend your time trying to prove who you are to others because that will result in you losing who you are instead. Worrying about other people’s opinions is what truly destroys your inner identity. Believing what other people say about you will cause you to believe that really is who you are. It isn’t. If you believe that is who you are, then it will be who you are. This is why it is important to understand that the only people who can determine your identity is yourself and God. God knows the truth about who you are and if you let Him, He’ll show it to you. The search for identity seems timeless and even pointless sometimes, but that is just external forces telling you that you will never know who you are. Think deep into yourself and figure out what you truly care about, what your passions are, what you like and dislike, etc. Spend time practicing what you preach and it will all come to you at once. Once you realize what your identity is, you will be unstoppable.