Chapters 6-7

We have many ways of boosting our self-esteem, even though we may bring others down in the process. It is important that we are creating an identity for ourselves, but the result can often become a negative one when we are constantly focused on pleasing others through our identities. Oftentimes as Christians, we get so caught up in searching for the perfect identity that we forget to hold fast to the blessings and values of Christ. We focus on earthly possessions or people, and we tend to drift off course. This has become a huge problem in today's culture. Cleveland points out that over the last century, our moral standards have changed and have moved further away from traditional Christian and biblical standards. Because of this, we have developed a defensive stance toward people who pose any kind of threat to us. We are scared to go out into the world and take on the hardships that await us. This also means that we may be missing wonderful aspects of life, and that there are countless blessings that are passing us by because we are content with being in our own little boxes. In my own life, I can see this problem pretty clearly. I am often content with how my life is going, even though I am aware that there is a lot of room for improvement. My identity has primarily been shaped by Christ, but I often become caught up in the world and the ideas that it pushes on me.

Conflict becomes a problem all around the world, and I often don't know how to combat it. I want to stand my ground, but I also need to make sure that I am fighting for Christ, and not for my own gain. There are so many different aspects of culture, spreading multiple beliefs throughout the world. It is easy to get confused and to lose our foundational Christian thought. However, it is important that we continue to fight for our faith, and that we are focused on bringing glory to God. I am sometimes quick to surrender my identity, instead of standing strong for what I believe in. We are not called to surrender to the world, but to give everything that we are to Christ. He has redeemed us and He will continue to sustain us. When I focus on Him and the promises that He has made for all of us, it becomes a lot easier for me to deal with conflict in the world, while still maintaining my core identity.

Chapter 5

We tend to believe that it's important that we are able to find an identity for ourselves. However, this doesn't necessarily mean that our identity will be rooted in good or pure values. We may even lean more towards associating with others, rather than creating a personal identity for ourselves. Cleveland points out that we have a tendency to observe how other people interact with one another and rely on feedback from those around us to help shape our identity. I have experienced this in my own life, and I know that I am often guilty of letting other people create my identity for me. It can be easy to allow this to happen, and there are many reasons for this: we want to fit in with certain groups, we don't feel good enough about ourselves to begin with, or we simply don't know what we want out of this life. This also leads into Cleveland's points about self-esteem. Our interaction with others and how we view our identity can produce either good or bad self-esteem, which in turn can influence our identity. It is a cycle that is often tough to get control of. However, I have found that when I take time to focus on the Lord and learn from the wisdom that He offers me through the Bible, that process becomes a lot clearer and easier to handle.

The good news is that Christ has offered us a perfect identity to gain influence from. As Christians, it is crucial that we are interacting with the world in such a way so that we can be good examples to those around us, and to ultimately point them to Christ. Our identity is something that can be shaped throughout our lives, and we can build upon it as we learn and experience more. We also should focus on the fact that we belong to a collective identity: the body of Christ. This is very encouraging to me, especially during this time of my life. I know that I can surround myself with people who offer me words of wisdom and true guidance, and that I can look to the Bible as well. God has given us everything that we could ever want, and it is our job to use our identities and talents to lead others to Him. If someone looks at me and doesn't like how I am living my life, what does that say about God? To someone who has never experienced God before, it can be an immediate deal-breaker. It is so important that we are taking our actions into consideration as we live our lives everyday. We never know what impact we may be having on another person, and we may miss our one opportunity to share the gospel with them. Our identities and the way that we present ourselves can truly change someone's life. My primary job in this life is to be a servant of the Lord, everything else should fall into place behind that. By making an active effort every day to stop and think about what I am doing, I will be able to better recognize the impact that I am having on the world around me, and how I am living a life that is honoring to God.