Who are you really?

There is a lot of talk about identity these days. People want to be their authentic selves; they don’t want to wear a mask; they want to be loved for who they are.

But what shapes our identity and how do we come to realize our true, authentic identity?

First, let’s begin by answering the question, “What is identity?” Identity is the sum of the characteristics that make us an individual. Identity answers the question “Who am I?”

Why is identity important? Identity is our way of being in the world. We live from our identity whether we are aware of it or not. Everything we do in life is an overflow of our sense of being.

A clear sense of identity enables us to be genuine, empowers us to navigate life’s challenges, improves our personal well-being, and causes us to live with greater purpose. Without a clear sense of identity, our behavior is more performative, our ability to navigate life’s challenges is diminished, our well-being suffers, and our lives become less purposeful.

What shapes identity? Identity is shaped by our design (how we are inherently wired), our core beliefs (about God and ourselves), and our formative experiences (family, social and cultural).

How do we come to realize our authentic identity? As Christians, our identity is based on what God says to us in the Bible and what He reveals to us about our design, our core beliefs, and our formative experiences. This is an ongoing, lifelong process of transformative intimacy with Him and others that requires both learning and unlearning.

Realizing our authentic identity requires learning because we periodically (sometimes regularly) discover new things about ourselves as we grow and mature. But it also requires unlearning

because our core beliefs and formative experiences can be warped by the effects of sin — the wounds acquired during those formative experiences and the lies and limiting beliefs we chose to accept about God and ourselves.

God longs for us to realize our authentic identity! 

John 10:10 (NIV) “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I (Jesus) have come that they may have life and have it to the full.”

So, who ARE you really? Will you intentionally pursue an intimate and progressive relationship of trust with God and allow Him to fulfill His desire to reveal more of your authentic identity?

2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV) “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

Jim Kubiak serves as a pastor-at-large in Bonner County. He can be reached at JimKubiak7@gmail.com.