“Who am I?” – Moses, to God.
“Who am I?” – King David, to God.
If you have ever wrestled with the question, “Who am I?” you are in good Biblical company.
Around six to nine months of age, an infant begins to realize they are a separate person from their parents. By ages two or three, children begin to define themselves and others by physical attributes, such as hair color or eye color. Between the ages of 12-18, adolescents explore their independence and develop a sense of self.
Philosophers, psychologists, and psychiatrists have long written about the basic human need for every person to have a unique identity, one that is acknowledged by others.
The world in which we live will provide us plenty of opportunities to explore who we are, and to self-identify as a result. The spectrum appears to be ever-evolving and ever-growing.
The world encourages that whatever one feels, one can be.
Sounds promising, right?
Yet according to a recent report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, more than seven million children in the United States are struggling with anxiety, depression, and related mental health challenges in what amounts to a mental health crisis across race, ethnicity, economics, and sexual identity. Psychology Today recently reported that 44 percent of teens experience persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness, similar to symptoms of major depressive disorder, and 20 percent of teens reported seriously considering attempting suicide.
Borrowed from an excerpt from “The Gospel Coalition,” writer Sara Barrett details the following, “Gen Z is facing an unprecedented identity crisis. Every time I ask youth pastors or Christian leaders what they think is the biggest struggle for teens today, the answer is the same: identity. Teens are struggling to know who they are and if they matter.”
Similarly, adults can struggle with identity crisis, too. Psychology recognizes midlife crisis, quarter-life crisis, adjustment disorders, depression and bipolar disorder as signs of adult identity crisis. More than 21 million American adults struggle with depression every year.
To the world, boundaries are viewed as restrictive and limiting. The idea of living without constraints is celebrated, and any imposition of boundaries can be viewed as an infringement on individual desires. As a person strikes out to explore who they are and to discover their identity, the world will eagerly erase all boundaries in support of their efforts.
Yet ironically, when boundary lines are abolished, confusion and unhappiness follow.
The personality type with the highest level of depression is low conscientiousness. These people tend to prioritize having fun and responding to the demands of the moment, and they tend to view rules and regulations as restricting, limiting, and confining. They may not feel responsible for anyone other than themselves. Conversely, a highly conscientious person is one who is self-disciplined and who respects rules and boundaries. They recognize and embrace that a higher Truth exists.
“The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.”
King David acknowledged that the Lord’s sovereign plan established the boundaries of his life in a way that surrounded him with God’s presence. For Christians, boundaries are not just necessary; they are life-giving. God’s Word provides clear guidelines that are meant to protect and lead us toward true freedom in Christ, which is where we are meant to find our identity. Just as physical boundaries provide safety and structure, spiritual boundaries keep us from harm, guiding our hearts and minds away from the chaos of sin and toward the peace found in a relationship with God.
Pleasant places were not merely physical locations, but a spiritual reality where God’s nearness was the true treasure. King David recognized the greatest inheritance was not earthly wealth or possessions, but God Himself.
God, in His beauty and holiness, is the ultimate gift, and our inheritance as believers is the everlasting joy of dwelling in our Father’s presence, where our souls will find satisfaction and delight.
As believers, may we be a light to those who are walking in the darkness and hopelessness of this present age, desperately placing their identity in one fleeting thing to the next.
May we encourage others to claim their value and worth by being co-heirs with Christ, Sons and Daughters of the Most High… an identity that the world cannot take away.
“In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:11-14.)