How Can I Find My Identity and Calling?

“Who are we?” I wonder if there’s ever been a question asked more often.

Philosophers, theologians, scientists, and common men and women have all asked this question. And I’d guess most everyone who has ever set foot on earth has asked this question as well. It’s an interesting question, as it portrays a human need to belong.

Everyone feels a need for purpose, meaning, and identity. Whether we find that in God, clothes, sports, or people, we attempt to fulfill that need. Our purpose is to serve and seek God, but what does that mean, and how does it answer who we are?

Thankfully, our God is a God who speaks to us daily, through his word, his people, and his Holy Spirit. And he doesn’t withhold information from us out of spite. I don’t think any verse of the Bible makes it any clearer who we are than Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. Real inspiring, right? But if you continue, the next verse brings us good news, “and [we] are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.”

So now we have a basic image of who humans are, sinful people who are completely lost, but for whom God has made a way to be redeemed by faith in the only blameless human, his son, Jesus Christ. The only one who could ever love you completely and perfectly wants to show you who you are and how to live perfectly. This brings great joy and hope, and it reveals what humans are and God’s redemption plan for us. And just as God has a plan for humanity, he has a plan for each individual Christian life.

Long story short, we can’t possibly answer each individual glorious calling God has given us, simply because we can’t know as much as God. But we can know what God has told us in his word. Several of God’s callings for Christians are made clear in Ephesians 4: 22-32. These are commands given to Christians as a whole, but each one takes individual meaning to every unique man and woman. I might struggle with speaking truth, while you might struggle with anger or bitterness. So, Christians should be pure and seek God, but how can we know our individual identities and callings?

1. Ask God

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ’plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” God has a plan for your life, so seek him in prayer. Often in seeking God’s plan for our lives we do not find it, but in seeking God, we always discover his truths. So, seek him in prayer, in scripture, and in your everyday routine.

2.Where Are You Gifted?

God has gifted you in different ways, and has created your mind and viewpoint in a unique way, so use it. You are depriving the world of God’s gifts when you are content with complacency. Give your input in discussions, use your gifts to serve your church, community, and home. Are you a writer? Write for God! Are you good with kids? Love and help them as if they were your own little brothers and sisters! Show your love for God in a love for others and a passion for his works that he will manifest in you if you only seek him first.

3. Seek Counsel

The Bible instructs us to seek counsel, not only in God, but also in wise counselors. Proverbs 11:14 “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” Ask others where they think you can serve God best. God works strongly through his people, and through his Holy Spirit. Often, other people see a purpose in you that is hard to notice on your own.

Ultimately, our identity is not in our calling, but in the one who is calling. Every calling portrays an aspect of each human being called, and every Human is made in God’s image. The way you serve your family and church is an illustration of how Jesus served his disciples and his Church. The way you wonder at God’s marvelous beauty and his creation reflects His joy in the work of his hand. Follow the one who knows every aspect of your life. You are his child, saved by grace, redeemed by his work on the cross, and revealed by works of faith. He is your identity.