Carolyn Renee. I don't think my parents could have named me anything more appropriate. My first name means "a happy song." My middle name means "rebirth." Combined, my name literally means a joyful song that is born again. A new song.

I find this particularly ironic since I love writing music. My life is a series of new songs and complicated melodies. It seems almost fitting that this was the random combination of words my parents chose to stick next to one another on my birth certificate. They had no clue.

Although names are important for identification purposes, they make up but a fragment of our entire identity. Not all names can describe a person completely. If it were up to just a name to help us assume full purpose and personality, there would be no sense in developing relationships with people. There would be no room or reason to love them in unique ways.

Though not always the most revealing, names play an extraordinary role in determining who we think ourselves to be. They can weaken and strengthen our identity. They can ring true or false. We can either choose to believe them or ignore them.

Consider for a moment the first time you were called a bad name by someone. Did you believe it? Did it upset you? What kind of toll did it take on your innocence? Most likely, it scarred your confidence and wounded your identity just enough that you would question the ascribed name later in life. Some hurtful names we chose to believe in can weaken the foundation of our identity and even sometimes erode the most important parts of who we are.

Sometimes, I feel as if acceptance is at an all-time high in America, today, based on the fact that America is a young and developing country which has gone through an identity crisis itself. We've struggled to abolish slavery. We've struggled with industry. We've struggled with women's suffrage. We've struggled with civil rights, with terrorism, with guns and conflict that have torn our foundation to shreds. I think it's fairly ironic that even a majority of America's founding fathers who believed in ideals of freedom, peace, and prosperity were some of the nation's wealthiest slave holders and most conflicted people.

The fact of the matter is, we are often at odds with who we seem to be, who we want to be, and a world that tells us who we ought to be.

It seems as if multiple labels vindicate how we should live in light of our identity. We are products of kind adjectives and discouraging remarks, of things we could have done and things we have yet to do. We are given characteristics that describe us, glances that judge us, and conversations that reveal us. We are stereotyped, worn thin, and placed on pedestals that unfortunately aren't in place to catch us when our intentions fall.

With all of this crazy conflict, how are we to find peace in the midst of a daily struggle for identity? How are we to know who we are? The bible gives multiple examples of people going through identity crises and I think some of these instances can resonate deep within. Even in biblical times, identity was huge. It meant belonging to tribes, having enough finances for family, and was even detrimental to survival. Old Testament figures especially struggled with identity. Many received new names along with new causes. Times may have changed, but we still experience a longing to be at peace with our identities as well. When you are pressured into an identity crisis, it can become so easy to get blown about by the winds of uncertainty. Learn how to beat out identity crisis by understanding these four truths about yourself:

You are an image bearer.

Hair product tames frizz. Gym workouts tame guts. Concealer tames zits. But what's one thing that can't be tamed? (Disclaimer, not Miley Cyrus.) It's the image of God inside of you!

We live in a control freak society that tells us if we don't hide the flaws, people might actually see us as -- gasp-- imperfect human beings. I've got some great news for you, though. You don't have to try to hide your flaws anymore. You've already got a piece of God inside of you. You are Imageo Dei. Genesis 1:26-27 tells us that we can be confident in who we are because God has made us in his image. Regardless of how we appear on the outside or who we are on the inside, we have a small piece of holiness inscribed into our identity and have been set apart from the rest of creation.

The next time you feel pressure to believe that you are not worthy or pretty enough, stare into the mirror and into the eyes of the one who created you. Have confidence in knowing that you are enough because you have been crafted and designed in his perfect image.

You are light.

Since you were constructed in the image of God, you also possess His light. Depression and anxiety cannot overcome you. Rage and jealousy can no longer terrorize you. You were made to bring brightness into a dull environment. Don't let the darkness overtake you. You have the potential to shine far greater than you know.

You are purposed.

When you were a negative million years old, God knew He was going to create you. He had everything He could ever want and yet He saw the world's future and thought the world needed one of you, too. God has designed you for a work that only you can accomplish one day. He has made you unique and has created you for a specific role. You are his secret weapon in one area of someone else's life. When the world implies that you are a failure and a mess-up, believe in an identity that confirms a plan. Don't limit yourself by buying into the idea that you are just like everyone else. You are special and you matter because you have work to do. Let that sink in.

You are loved.

I know, it's cliche. But, do you really understand how much you are loved and valued by the God of the universe? God loves you so much that he has offered you a new identity. Take, for instance, all Biblical characters who have been offered a new and complete identity: Abram, Sarai, Jacob, Hadassah, Simon, Saul. The list goes on and on. God loves you so much that he offers you a new identity in him each and every morning. When others remind you of your shortcomings and place labels on you, it is essential to believe in a love that wins out against fraud. Love and be loved and there you will find true identity.

Now that you know the secret to surviving identity crises, be sure to remember all of the things you are when other sources give you labels. You are not a black and white barcode. You are a living, breathing piece of art. You have a light, a purpose, a plan, a foundation, and an identity. This is who you are.