By Nathan Brito

The world is infinitely changing. A world that we once thought we understood one minute, is completely alien the next. A time that was once so familiar, became a time so mysterious to us. Yet, if we really look at it, the world isn’t changing, we are. The world simply remains on its twisted cycle. A portion of humanity is aware of God and accepts Him, then we betray Him; judgement, rinse and repeat. The thing is, it’s ultimately humanity that changes, not the world. The world is not a conscious sentient being that is capable of social, intelligence, and behavioral adaptation and/or making decisions. We ultimately are the ones who change due to our adaptive nature and our ability to make choices. We can become a new person with different qualities and characteristics. This can be due to several variables such as certain outside circumstances, aspirations, influences, etc. However, it all boils down to one thing: Our Identity.

We as a species have struggled with our humanity since the dawn of time. It’s a very real dilemma that humanity has to fight perpetually throughout the ages. Often times, we give ourselves our own identities, or transfer that power to someone or something else. Many will look to an actor or musician to give them an identity that is somewhat satisfying to them. Our identities have become subject to one’s preferences and have become easily replaceable the moment one is no longer satisfied with it. It’s like putting on a costume, then changing it when it doesn’t work out. Doesn’t the constant changing of identity in this world raise suspicion? It should. If an identity is improperly chosen and implemented, then this can cause serious harm and chaos. Because most identities are flawed and subjective, people may turn to drugs, sex, violence, theft etc. simply because they identify themselves as such. Identities come with their own set of morals. This is a serious problem. In other words, because we can give ourselves identities that are highly subjective, we are now able to redefine morals. People have become moral subjectivists, utilitarian, ethical egoists all in the name of what is believed to be right. The problem is, if we give ourselves an identity, or if we look to someone or something else to give us an identity, then we are in trouble. Why? Let’s look at Genesis 3:4-7:

The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.

Verse 4 and 5 tells us that the devil can deceive us into picking a wrong identity. In some cases, it may seem cool and a good idea to pick certain identities, but in reality, it’s merely a lie. Sometimes, we struggle so much to find an identity that when we can’t find one, some of us may even take our own lives. Another lie. Verse 6 displays the gullibility and fallacy of humanity as Eve’s perception of the tree changed, causing her to take some of the fruit. In other words, she looked to the tree to give her an identity. She believed the devil and believed that the tree would transform her into a fantasy that could never happen, blinding her to reality and reason. Verse 6 also reveals that our identity does not just affect ourselves, but it also affects everyone around us. It affects those closest to us dragging them down with us. Verse 7 completes the consequence of improperly choosing an identity. Adam and Eve became lost; they lost themselves, they lost humanity, and they lost their original purpose. Ultimately, the saddest part about losing and/or choosing the wrong identity is that you can lose your original purpose: the purpose that God had planned for your life.

Colossians 2:6-9 says the following:

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him.7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.8 Don?t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

In Colossians, Paul tells us to let our lives be built on Jesus, to remember our identity in
him. He tells us not to listen to the world; not to create our own identities or to look to the world for new identities. He describes our perfect union with Christ and our identity in him as making us complete. When we have our identity in Christ, every aspect of our lives will improve. Our marriages will improve; our relationships will improve; our understanding will improve; we will be wiser, and we will be given true purpose. This is all due to the things that are required of us when we place our identity in Christ, such as, following God’s commandments, and loving our neighbor as ourselves. The things that Christ requires of us are there to ultimately improve our lives and the lives of others. No one knew this more than Paul who went from murdering Christians, to becoming one of the greatest apostles of all time after finding his identity in Christ.