Who are you? People ask that question constantly in a variety of ways. Questions like "Where are you from?" or "What do you do?" are forms of questions to acknowledge who that person actually is. You get answers based on occupation, family heritage, major, social status, etc. As I pondered these things, I really investigated how humans use these things to define who they are.
Oftentimes, we subscribe to the notion that what we do, where we're from and who we know gives us definition. And because we are defined by these things, we seek security and purpose in them as well. This ultimately brings a false reality that our experiences, our craft, our possessions and our inheritance dictate our lives.
Who you are determines what you do. What we find identity in and who we find identity in determines our actions. For a murderer, there isn't a rational view of self, so that's not a rational view of others, so it's easy to take another's life. For the alcoholic, there's no sense of satisfaction and relief in the world, so they drink excessively. For the dropout, there's a lack of hope and success and a heavy sense of disappointment in self, so it's easy for them to settle for less and always take the easy route in relationships and occupations. For the the 9th grader with no guidance, there is a craving for attention and acknowledgement and approval from your peers, so they act in defiance to authority in order to receive the praise that they desire.
This all ties back to the identity. Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York, said "Our need for worth is so powerful that whatever we base our identity and value on we essentially 'deify.' We will look to it with all the passion and intensity of worship and devotion, even if we think ourselves as highly irreligious."
Essentially, whatever we find our worth in, we worship as God, whether it's healthy or not. The truth is, we will never truly know our worth until we recognize that we inherently have worth. Because we are created in the image of God, by God, through God and for God, we have infinite and surpassing value from birth. Because we're created in the image of God, we find representation, responsibility and relationship in something and someone so much bigger than our finite selves. This gives us the rational view of self that we so desperately need. Instead of ascribing to a political party, or gang membership, or a family tradition, investigate what you find your identity in and ask yourself is it really fulfilling and reasonable.
Does this passion give me true value? Does this allegiance to this group satisfy the desire in my heart to be known and accepted? Are things I find identity in cheap and brief? Am I settling for something that will never measure up to my desire to be influential in society? These questions can gage what we really think about ourselves, whether good or bad. Obviously, if you were created by a sovereign, all-powerful, all-wise, eternal Creator, then your identity will be found in something much bigger than yourself and your actions will take on a greater significance than you can fathom.
