Who Are You?

We are given about a hundred years on this earth, give or take. Some people float through life, never truly accomplishing anything. We work a little, play a little, meet somebody, move around, and go through the motions of what it takes to survive in our society. Eat, sleep, work, eat, sleep, work kind of world. Live for Friday, bemoan Monday kind of people. But I don’t want to simply survive. I want to thrive.

Then, some people recognize that there’s more to life than running the rat race, so to speak. They look up and see people who have done more than just living and understand that it can be done. But then, some of those people aren’t really sure what that means or where that leaves them. Some choose to stop at just knowing, choosing to believe that only some people can pull beyond the endless circle of eat, sleep, work. But I don’t want to spin in circles. I want to have a plan.

And yet still, some people know there’s a purpose to this life, but aren’t sure what that purpose is. They ask questions about what they want to do with their lives, what they want to have accomplished by the end of it all, what they want to be known for when they’re gone. What will your headstone say when you’re gone? Who will people say you were? Some people stop at asking questions, though. Getting warmer. Now we’re beginning to see that anyone can reach beyond spinning in circles and that there is much more to life than floating through and simply surviving.

Now we know we can be more than robotic wanderers. Now we know we need a plan. But I don’t want to spend my whole life planning. I want to enact a plan. And in order to do that, I have to know what my purpose is. But how do you discover your purpose? How do you decide what you’re supposed to do with your life, let alone how to do it?

We reach an age where we’re supposed to choose a career, and after we choose a career, we use that choice to choose a college that will give us the tools to jump into that career. After we graduate, we’re supposed to navigate the interview and application processes. And sometimes it gets down to crunch time so we just pick a job to make ends meet. Gotta pay bills and fill the gas tank and buy our own food and tooth paste now. All of the sudden adulting becomes real. Real hard and real fast. And real exhausting.

What happens when you fall into the eat, sleep, work cycle and you know there’s more? Well, then you’re constantly fighting this urge and yearning to do more. So, you put your nose to the grind and keep working toward that dream job while you do your best at the now job. You pay your dues and work your way up. Meanwhile, you start to dream of all the things you could do with your life, like that job, a family, a home…the impact you could leave on those around you. You set financial goals, career goals, social goals, etc. I’m stressing out just thinking about it all! It’s a scary time. It’s a rough transition. And people expect you to have all of the answers.

But where do those answers come from? How do you find your purpose and choose a career and learn how to be what God made you to be? How do you become the person whose headstone says what you want it to say when you’re gone? Well, I don’t believe you can search for your purpose or anything else until you first determine one very important thing. In order to stay strong and anchored in this perilous transition in life, in order to pursue your purpose and dream of the life you desire…you’ve got to know exactly who you are.

So many, many people look to media for those answers. I beg you not to. We’re surrounded by a culture that pushes images of who we should be in books, movies, television, magazines, commercials, music, radio shows, even in news. And, that’s natural. Media is a portrayal of humanity by humanity. But humanity is flawed. Greatly so. Our modern media culture pushes very specific ideas of what men and women should and shouldn’t be, what we should look like and do, who we should be. And, it’s easy to conform to those standards. It’s easy to compare yourself to these wholly unrealistic portrayals of men and women in our media. But you can’t root your very identity, the core of who you are, in fallacies.

So, who are you?

Are you shamed into believing you aren’t beautiful? Are you afraid you’ll never fit in or that you aren’t unique, that you could easily be replaced? Are you worried that you aren’t valuable or that no one sees your true worth? Are you trapped in a life of misery? Are you deceived by mediocrity? Are you confused by the messages and pressures of the world? Are you terrified that you’ll never be enough? Are you mortified by what you’ve done? Are you frustrated because you want to change and just can’t seem to stop falling back into bad habits? Are you hurting? Are you guilty? Are you hopeless?

I’ve been there. I’ve felt all of these things. But I need you to know that you are stunning. You are one of a kind and you do have a place. There is no price that could match your worth in all of the universe and I see your value, as do many others. You don’t have to be trapped and you most certainly don’t have to be miserable. You can do great things and live the life you dream of. We are not of this world and we are commanded not to conform to it. That isn’t easy, but God gives strength and grace in abundance. You are enough. You are more than enough! Nothing you’ve ever said or done can diminish who you are. God’s grace is sufficient (2 Corin 12:9) and His mercy is like a blissful balm that soothes and heals all wounds. You can change. You can determine your future. From this point forward. A wise man falls seven times and yet rises again (Prov. 24:16). It can be done and you can do it. Your penalty has been paid. You have been forgiven. And there is always hope.

I am a beloved child of God, the Creator of the universe. He made me. He knew me before I was knit together in my mother’s womb (Jer. 1:5) and He has a purpose for me, a prosperous plan (Jer. 29:11). He bought me with His Son’s blood and now I. Am. His.

Forever.

Choose to set your foundation in something more solid than the ever-changing opinions of men and media, Only God can tell you who He made you to be. And only God should ever determine your worth. He has called us priceless and His masterpieces. Take your worth and your identity from God and His word. Surround yourself with encouraging truth-tellers who will hold you accountable and push you to grow and ask these hard questions. Find people who will hold your hand and guide you, rub your back when you cry on their shoulders and wipe your tears. You need people who will scold you when you need it and laugh with you when you celebrate. Find people who will remind you who you are, people who will point you back to Christ. If you can stand in His promises, nothing in this world can sway you. And immerse yourself so completely in God’s word. He will never fail you and His word will always center your spirit. He will heal you. He will fortify you. He will prune you. He will teach you to soar and live the most amazing life, even more incredible than you can even begin to imagine. He will silence the voices. He will always tell you who you are. Don’t care what somebody thinks about you. Care what God knows about you.

Living every day knowing that you are a beloved child of God gives you an unquenchable hope, a firm foundation, and a powerful direction for your life. Everything else falls away and becomes inconsequential in the face of God’s love. So soak in it, draw it into your deepest heart, and use it to shield yourself against the world and it’s opinions of what you should be.

Love always,
Coralie

For more on identity and self-worth here at GraceBought, check into the following: (Or you can just look at the You Are category)

You are Beautiful, You are Special, You are Priceless, and You ARE

Lauren Daigle: I Am Yours, You Say