The great question - who am I?
Thankfully God used this Great Awakening to encourage me to really be raw and real about everything. Here are some of the things I mistakingly believed made me ME.
TOP FALSE PLACES TO FIND IDENTITY
1) emotions
Always happy, thoughtful or grumpy, it is easy to grasp onto this one, though just as easy to lose. One of the many problems with this, one life changing, hormonal experience and I was no longer "me".1) emotions
2) appearance
Pretty obvious, we are always striving to fit in (or not fit in) with our style choices. I have had to be careful that my own style is an extension of my true identity not a mask I hide behind.
3) talents
Playing the piano and being obsessed with home design is awesome, but it is not who I am. I am a unique child of God and my different talents are evidence of that. However, if all my abilities were taken away, I would still be the person who made that talent possible.
4) hobbies
Doing what we enjoy is super important, but it is not necessary to be who we are. Hobbies and activities make us happy because they remind of who we were designed to be and create an outlet for expression.
5) occupation
This is so difficult for me. Because I really wanted my job to define who I am and honestly, it wasn't. Instead of stressing, I had (and have) to realize that I do not need to depend on what I do to define who I am.
6) age
As stupid as this is, without thinking we use our age group to define who we are "I am in my twenties so I do such and such". It is wonderful and part of life to embrace each stage of life and it's possibilities. I just have to watch myself to make sure I do not get stuck in a decade and freak out when it is over. We are so much more than that.
7) friends and family
Who we spend the most time with shapes our lives, no doubt about it. However loved ones come and go. Who we are is a lasting reality that never changes, in that we will always be image bearers of our Creator and designed to serve Him and others with our special and unique gifts and talents.
8) our spouse
Marriage exposes our true selves to another person, sometimes we cannot take it when our spouse pushes away the "identity masks" we have put on and shows us who is really behind it all. It made me feel naked, stripped of the cozy layers of "who I was". Instead of shying away, I had to embrace this unveiling and praise God and thank my hubby for being so kind and gentle as when he pointed things out.
9) lifestyle
We tend to look at others around us and play a big "compare to the Jones'" game. Having the life of luxury and travel does not create happiness or sophistication nor does a simple self sustaining homestead make anyone holier or understanding. Lifestyles change and so do our wants, needs and desires. I have to be sure that I remain true to what really matters, being right where God wants me to be!
10) the past
I saved this for last because it is important and possibly one of the most dangerous identity shapers I cling to. My past, past joys, sorrows, friends and loved ones now gone, rosy summers, cozy winters, all the memories that I carry around. They can be comforting, even the bad ones, because they help me explain to myself who I am and why.
The danger is, if I look to my past to define who I am, then I will become nothing more than a shadow. A memory of the person that was. No need to relive memories to find who I am, that person is still there! Perhaps buried under years of neglect but there and waiting to live now. This is what it is all about, finding
ourselves by finding our Creator and sharing His love and truth with others. Loving Him now, using our talents now, embracing life now, working hard now, sharing our passions now, living now.
Ashley @realethereal
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