Many people today are confused about who they are, resulting in a desperate need to discover their God-given identity. God doesn’t want anyone to live a life of insecurity, confusion or pain. His hope is that all would come to salvation and know exactly who they are and where they fit in within His plans and purposes for His creation.
This blog post provides insights for anyone struggling with who they are. That could be someone trying to overcome any kind of negative label. Or it could be a person with an unwanted same-sex attraction or a person at war with the gender of their birth. Whatever the case, know that God loves you unconditionally and the solution to your challenge is discovering your God-given identity.
In the book of Genesis God calls out to the first man asking “Adam where are you? Adam was hiding from God because he had sinned. Today mankind continues to hide from God due to the sin that separates us from Him. But Jesus has made a way back to God for us as we repent of the things we’ve done wrong and are restored to relationship with God as Father.
Despite this free gift of salvation, we hide in so many ways and put up barriers so people can’t come close and find out who we really are. The question still rings out today, “Where are we at?” But let’s look at another, albeit closely-aligned question… “Who are you?” Because identity is such an important part of our lives. And in this world we live in today it’s questioned at every turn.
The truth is that we are God’s children, created in His image, with a divine assignment to accomplish that He has called us to. And within that calling, He equips us with all that is needed to be successful, no matter what struggles we face. So embrace your God-given identity and walk in the victory Christ has secured for us on the Cross.
Apply your God-given identity to:
Overcome a negative label
Perhaps you’ve been singled out with nasty insults that ridicule your age, weight, race, social status etc. Don’t let that define you. Find out from God directly who you are and let Him affirm you as only He can. Or maybe you have a life-controlling addiction. Refuse to accept a life sentence of being a ‘drug or porn addict’, ‘alcoholic’ etc.
You are more than your addiction. You are God’s son or daughter and you need His help. You may be self-medicating with your drug of choice, but don’t let your addiction define you. Search for Bible truths that pertain to the challenge you are facing and pray these Scriptures over your situation. Look to Jesus as your Saviour, deliverer and healer no matter what you are facing. He is all those things and more.
Overcome unwanted same-sex attraction
Another hurtful label these days pertains to our lack of masculinity or femininity as the case may be. This is especially hurtful for young people in their formative years, for example, boys being called a ‘Sissy’ or effeminate and girls being called ‘Tom boys’ or ‘Butch’. Such boys need male affirmation, not rejection and girls need female nurturing and acceptance.
For those who are confused about their sexual orientation, pop psychology demands that you accept a gay or lesbian identity as there is nothing you can do to change it. You are told you are born that way. That being gay is genetic, but is that really true? Is there an alternative?
You may be a man attracted to other men, but when you really start to unpack that, what you may actually find is that you are desperate to connect with other men due to some deficit in your life. This could be a lack of masculine camaraderie which you misinterpret as a same-sex attraction. In this case, the answer is to build stronger, healthier relationships with other men.
Same-sex attraction can be the result of other influences then, rather than genetics. What were you subject to growing up? How were you parented? Did you have an absent father? Or an overbearing mother? This may sound cliche, but don’t underestimate the damage disconnection with a parent can cause. Were you perhaps sexually abused as a child? This can often position one for a sexual orientation you never chose, setting you on a path of struggle all your life. Likewise, it can trigger Gender Dysphoria.
If you are a young man, perhaps you don’t have a father figure to call out your masculinity. If you are a girl maybe there are factors in your upbringing that cause you to find women attractive, rather than the opposite sex. How can you overcome this, particularly if it is unwanted? This is something many other believers face, who think they may be gay and yet have to come to terms with what the Bible says about homosexuality.
Without getting into a theological debate about Romans 1: 18-32, let’s just say that you should seek the Lord directly to affirm you in your God-given identity. Develop a dialogue with Him. Open up a simple line of communication through prayer and wait to hear His voice. But when He speaks, you must be prepared to be obedient to His answer.
A man may feel he has a same-sex attraction. He may internalise the words, “I am gay” or even say them out loud. But what happens when he hears from Heaven? And it’s just four simple words, but they are life-changing. And the words are “YOU ARE NOT GAY”. Then what? A process of redefining the narrative of your life begins, whereby God takes you back to basics and you need to start rebuilding your life with layer after layer of truth.
The Bible says that God created us male or female. These alone are the options He sees as part of His bigger picture of human reproduction. The woman was formed out of the man and when a husband and his wife connect they fulfill God’s perfect blueprint for the continuation of the human race through natural means. This is not possible in any other sexual combination.
Sexual intimacy is God’s gift to married couples and it is life-giving. The way they are designed enables a perfect fit that facilitates procreation through a natural process. Two women or two men cannot have a child together naturally. The ‘plumbing’ is just not there to make it work. So, having the correct sexual orientation is a fundamental part of embracing your God-given identity and your fruitfulness in life.
God still speaks today and this proclamation of “YOU ARE NOT GAY” is all too real amongst those who were previously living a gay or lesbian lifestyle and have decided to come out of it by God’s grace.
Overcome gender dysphoria
One of the key things we learn in the Book of Beginnings, Genesis is that we are created in the image of God. That we bear His Image. So realising our God-given identity starts with who we are from birth. Whether we are God’s son or God’s daughter.
A woman may feel that they are living in a man’s body. They may declare they are a man, start to dress as one and even go as far as gender reassignment surgery. What happens when they submit their life to God and He starts to speak to them about their identity… What do they do when He calls them, “My beloved daughter?” Rather than Son. They should not take that as a rejection, but as divine direction.
Again, when God reveals the truth of your gender, a process begins of stripping back layer upon layer of lies, based on one false assumption, in order to regain the truth and embrace one’s God-given identity. Read more in God and Gender Dysphoria.
God doesn’t change. He remains the same. His love abounds to us and that is unchanging. His grace is always there for us, and He doesn’t change his mind about our identity. He knew us before we were even born, He knitted us together in our mother’s womb. What a privilege it is to be image bearers of our Creator. It’s therefore so important that we know who we are.
Pray and ask God to affirm your God-given identity and confirm He has called you to do. In this way, you will discover your life purpose and in accomplishing this that you will find your God-given identity, fulfillment and happiness.
Guest Contributor
International Christian accepts voluntary guest contributions from writers who have a positive contribution to make, encouraging readers to live for God and fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit in these challenging End Times.
