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Several years ago, I embarked upon a trip to China with a missions tour group. We would follow in the steps of Lottie Moon, the famed nineteenth century missionary who so courageously took the gospel of Jesus Christ into a country that most would not risk to enter. We met and prayed with missionaries and learned of how the work of Lottie Moon paved the way for so many to come to Christ. (Every year our church participates in the Lottie Moon Missions Offering which provides resources for missionaries to take the gospel to the entire world.) While the organization with whom I would be going would provide direction and assure our safekeeping, I distinctly remember being constantly aware of the location of my passport. While on foreign soil, especially in a nation that is ruled by Communism, I wanted to make certain that my identity was secure.
We have all seen movies or read stories of individuals whom have somehow lost their identities. Drama unfolds as the characters strive to come to terms with who they are and where they belong. Many are fascinated by such a story because most can relate to the sense of being lost, uncertain of where they belong. Our identity determines what we believe, how we behave, and what we pursue. Social media and the internet are replete with opinions on how one might go about discovering their identity. Most will look to the approval of others to determine who they are. Even in Christian circles, there is no shortage of books and articles chronicling the proper pursuits of how one should discover their true identity. We seem to be a culture wrestling to find out who we really are and where we belong.
While this pursuit may have many nuances, there are seemingly three basic questions critical to determining one’s identity: Where did you come from, who are you, and where are you going? Much to our relief, the Bible provides answers to each of these questions for us all.
1. Where did you come from?
Since one’s identity is so intrinsically connected to upbringing, it should not surprise us to know that many are struggling with this matter. Brokenness in the home is an epidemic in our culture, and the youngest among us pay the highest price. Lacking the foundational support of an engaged father and mother, children languish over their place in life. Yet, regardless of the brokenness of our environments, God’s Word is clear regarding our origins. The reliable record of Genesis communicates that we belong to God, made in His image. Even the very family, community, or culture in which we live is under the command of God. “He [God] made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place” (Acts 17:26). Our world may be very broken, but it is not beyond the sovereign reach of God’s knowledge nor His mercy. We have come from God for His purpose and good pleasure.
2. Who are you?
We find a unique answer to this question for each of us in the gospel accounts of Jesus’ life. In the opening chapters of Matthew’s gospel, we read of Jesus calling His disciples to follow Him, with the promise that He will make them “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). In other words, by giving their lives in pursuit of Christ, their identities follow suit. Much more than just a career path, the disciples of Christ would take on the character of their Teacher and Lord. Later, in that same gospel account, Jesus asks of His disciples the most important question regarding their identities: “Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15). Jesus’ question reveals an important truth regarding our own identities. One’s identity hinges upon his recognition of Christ. The most important question is not “who am I” but rather “who is Jesus.” In recognizing Jesus’ rightful place as Lord, our lives find significance in the One in whom “we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).
3. Where are you going?
In many ways, it is our destination that determines our identities because our purpose will be defined by our pursuits. Billy Graham once shared an interesting story regarding this very point. Albert Einstein, the famed physicist, was going on a train to an out-of-town engagement. The conductor stopped to punch his ticket. The great scientist, preoccupied with his work, with embarrassment rummaged through his coat pockets and briefcase to no avail. He could not find his ticket. The conductor graciously declared, “We all know who you are, Dr. Einstein. I’m sure you bought a ticket. Don’t worry about it. Everything is okay.” The conductor walked on down the aisle punching other tickets. Before he moved to the next car he looked back and saw Dr. Einstein down on his hands and knees looking under his seat trying to find his ticket. He came back and said, “Dr. Einstein, please don’t worry about it. I know who you are.” At which the great Einstein looked up and said, “I, too, know who I am. What I don’t know is where I’m going.”
Only in following Jesus Christ can we be certain of where we are going. “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). Our daily pursuits are defined by His ultimate purpose for us.
Confident in Who He Is, What He Says, What He Has Done, and That He Will Return,
Jason