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.