A Cup of Grace – with a shot of espresso

Our culture is on a scavenger hunt for identity, meaning and purpose. All sorts of answers are being offered. The percentage of those in therapy has skyrocketed. In part, this is because the answers being offered (success, stuff, fame, popularity) aren’t satisfying.  We find ourselves thinking, “What’s wrong with me?” We are unmoored and directionless, and that is frightening. 

We seek to “self actualize” – become our fullest and best self, but do we have a clear idea of what our “fully developed self” really is? If we don’t, then we are back to scrolling influencers and chasing whatever seems good to us. This won’t end well. (Have you ever thought something was a good idea only to later understand it was a candy coated problem?)  Proverbs 14:12 puts it this way, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (NIV). 

While the answers about our identity, meaning and purpose aren’t found by watching others, neither are they found in the mirror. I am coming to understand that trying to find our identity within ourselves – trying to self identify is not effective, ultimately frustrating, leads to endless naval gazing, and can actually deceive us. 

I’m going to suggest we begin again but from a new point. Instead of asking “who am I,”  the question that is at the center of this search is who is God? Why does that matter? Look at Genesis 1:27, “So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.” 

It stands to reason that if we want to know more about who we are and what our intended purpose is, we should look to our Maker. (Now if you believe you came from primordial sludge, there’s no point in looking. If you are nothing but a chaotic random chance, then there is no purpose or meaning. That is simply following that worldview to its logical conclusion. There is another worldview that says you are of  great value and definitely not a random act of chance.) Psalm 139: 13-14 puts it this way, “For You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (NIV). 

In contrast to the message of chaotic random chance (aka naturalism), Genesis tells us that we are made in God’s image. This simple statement contains three important truths in it. The first is that the existence of humankind is purposeful and not left to chance at all. God was personally involved in our beginning. Humankind arrives on the same day as animals but in a distinctly different manner than animals. God’s decision to create man and woman was a separate act. 

The second truth in this statement is that we have value. There is nothing else in creation that is given this distinction, and there are a lot of amazing things in creation: the Milkyway, the mathematical precision of flower, the Rocky Mountains, the shimmer of a hummingbird’s wing. Not one of these is “made in God’s image.” Being made in God’s image imparts an even greater dignity and value. We are more than the sum of our biological parts. We are more than biological machines that just happen to be really well assembled. 

However, the third important truth is that we are made in His image. In other words, we are the reflection, not the actual thing. We are not God. We do not have the final say. We do not determine right from wrong, good from evil. Nor do we self identify. Only God has that authority. God says “I am who I am.” He self identifies. 

So, we are both biological and spiritual beings with great value and yet not the Author of our existence. We are the created not the Creator.  We discover who God made us; we don’t create the definition.  

Therefore, if we are the reflection of God – made in His image, then knowing who He is helps us better understand who we are meant to be. God is all knowing. As the reflection, we are not. But He has endowed humankind with a curiousity to know and discover as well the ability to do so. 

God is all powerful. Again, as the image, we are not. Yet, He has given us the power of free will. We make choices that direct our lives. He knows which of those choices are best for us, but He does not force us into those choices. He has endowed us with reason and an ability to learn. He also has provided wisdom and instruction in His Word.

God is just and righteous. We understand justice and righteousness and even value it. (Look at those we truly think of as heroes). However, we fall short.  God provided Jesus to cover that. When we accept Christ’s payment on our behalf, we too are counted as righteous before God. (We are back to the power we have been granted of free will. We have a choice to imitate God.)

God is also wise, loving, faithful, merciful, gracious, generous.  In each case, we long for each of those. We know them to be good. God calls us to imitate Him. When we do, we find who we are truly meant to be. When we imitate God, we discover our best selves. So, we self actualize by looking at God and seeking to be like Him.  

Consider this, too. Each of us is a unique creation, yet each of us bear His image. When we imitate God, when we seek to more clearly reflect His character, we do not become robotically alike in a scary Stepford Wives way. Rather, He shines through our differences. Think of the symphony of sound created as each musical instrument plays its part in the orchestra. God designed each of us not to “march to our own beats,” but to listen to His, to let our hearts beat in rhythm with His. You will still be unique. He designed you to be, to uniquely reflect Him. 

When we better understand the source of our identity, our purpose and meaning flow from that. It is the creator of a thing who determines the item’s primary purpose. The flute maker wanted to make music, as did the drum designer. That’s not to say those things can’t be “repurposed,” but their first best purpose comes from the designer. So if you believe that God is the Designer, it stands to reason that He determines our purpose. 

So if you are struggling with who you are or what your purpose is, I want to encourage you to get to know God. Find out who He is. When we spend time with someone, we begin to adopt some of their characteristics. Stop looking to others, seeking to imitate them. Instead, open your Bible, learn who God is and imitate Him. For that is who you were designed to be. What personality traits, skills, and knowledge have you been given? Surrender those to your Creator for His use. Then watch as identity and purpose align to create meaning. Join the symphony of eternal significance.