When I first met Simon, I thought he was a happy and successful young businessman. But, as I got to know him better, I realized that, underneath the confident image everyone saw, there was deep self-doubt and even self-loathing.
Although it was difficult to get close to him, over some months, he gradually dropped his defenses and began to talk about his inner life. For all the outward success, he was clearly suffering a deep personal crisis. It was an identity crisis that seemed to be related to his father’s harsh and abusive treatment of him as a kid.
Simon didn’t know who he was or why he was here. Although he struggled to explain himself, I noticed four expressions appearing again and again.
- I’m worthless
- I’m confused
- I’m aimless
- I’m insecure
Have you ever felt like that? It’s impossible to be happy and at peace if we have such a deep and serious identity crisis.
Can this be fixed going forward? Yes, by going backward. I took Simon back to the beginning of time, and of the human race, to Genesis 1:26-31, to discover how God made humanity with a rich identity.
GOD MADE US WITH VALUE (26)
- A divine image
- A beautiful image
Simon’s objection: “But, what about all these genders?”
GOD MADE US WITH CLARITY (27)
- Two different sexes
- Two complementary sexes
- Two clear sexes
Simon’s objection: “OK, that’s who I am. But what am I to do?
GOD MADE US WITH A PURPOSE (28)
- Fill the earth
- Rule the earth
Simon’s objection: “That is a beautiful way to frame my work. But can I be sure that God will provide for me?”
GOD MADE US WITH SECURITY (29)
- God gave us food
- God gave everything food
At this point, Simon stopped fighting and began smiling. It would take him many years to fully replace his old broken identity with this new beautiful identity. But the battle for a healthy identity had begun and he knew already it was a battle worth fighting. He changed his future by going back to the beginning.
But it’s not just Simon, is it? It’s also you and me, to some degree. We go through various identity crises at different points in our lives that leave us feeling worthless, confused, aimless, and insecure. That’s when we need to embrace our God-given identity that is valuable, clear, purposeful, and secure.
LIVING THE BIBLE
Fight for your future identity by going back to your original identity.
This episode of Living the Bible lines up with Expedition 1: Day 3 in Exploring the Bible Together: A 52 Week Family Worship Plan and Exploring the Bible: A Bible Reading Plan for Kids. You can catch up with previous episodes of the Living the Bible podcast here or subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Podcast.
