Remembering Who We Are

Hey, everyone! It’s Amelia writing today. 

I’ve recently been thinking a lot about identity. The world seems to have a lot of thoughts on identity these days. Wikipedia says, “Identities are strongly associated with self-image…, self-esteem, and individuality”. Our identities seem to be these very personal ideas of ourselves that capture our lives, our occupations, our thoughts, and our core beings. 

Our identities shape who we are, and ultimately are what drive us to do what we do in our lives. If I identify as a Christian, then everything that I am and live for should mirror those principles. If I identify myself as anything, then I will look like that thing, or try my hardest to do so. 

My idea of identity has been a bit off lately. I have been putting so much pressure on myself to be certain things. Lately, my identity would probably be “student” as I’ve tried to cram a lot of schoolwork. In the past it’s probably been “blogger” or “pianist” as I’ve spent so much of my life pouring into these categories. Though I would never have thought of these things as being my identity, they were definitely playing a significant part in it, and I was trying hard to make them fit that role. 

But recently I was listening to the band Switchfoot talk about their song called “Beloved”. What they said reminded me of how important identity is and how I was trying to put my identity into the wrong things. They said that their identities were not as songwriters, or as friends, or as all these other things, but that their true identities were that of being beloved. 

This really struck me as I thought about how freeing it is to let go of all of these false identities I’ve tried to make for myself. How freeing it is to realize that I am so dearly loved by my Maker, and how that is my identity, no matter what I try to make of myself. 

Realizing this was such a relief to me. I didn’t have to put my identity in these worldly things anymore. I didn’t have to strive so hard for success and self gratification. 

Real growth starts when we remember our identities. When we stop looking towards this world for identity and start remembering who made us and why He made us in the first place. God made us because he loves us so dearly, and once we realize that, the things of this world are never the most important. And when our hearts and minds are set on the things above, we start to see growth in our lives. 

I hope this was a good reminder to you if you have been struggling as I have been. I hope that you can remember how truly beloved you are by your Maker and that you were made for a bigger purpose than the things of this world. 

– Amelia