Ice Breaker Blog
The definition of an identity is: the condition or character as to who a person is. Reading through chapter two was an awesome tool just because it brought up some very good points to remember about yourself and why you are the way you are. Your self-concept is really the thing that motivates you to act the way you do. And what you think of yourself and who you think you are as a person are the defining factors of whom you become. In chapter two it states that the things that influence your identity the most are culture, gender, and ethnicity. I agree that those things are to be considered and carry some weight. But I am confident that I discovered my identity at a very young age and that was when I gave my life to Christ and because of that, my identity is found in Christ. I am continually changing and growing in my identity. The character that I am modeling is that of Christ. In this identity, I have found meaning to my life, and a purpose with an end goal. My purpose and passion in life is what molds and shapes who I am as a person. I know that Christ has saved me from my sin by dying on the cross and I know that He has risen so that I might choose to accept what He has done for me and spend eternity with Him. He asks of those who have knowledge of these things and believe in him to live a life honoring to him and further his kingdom by sharing the gospel. That is my purpose in life and how my identity is rooted in the one thing that is perfectly consistent.
My self-image affects how I see others in such a way that I judge them and compare them to myself. I was once told to put a ‘10’ above everybody’s head. To think of them in the highest esteem possible. I don’t know their hearts or their motives so how do I have the right to judge their actions or appearances. In chapter 3 it discusses the fact that we often focus on the negative aspects in a person rather than the positive and that is definitely true in my life. If I have a bias against someone from the beginning than all I am ever looking for in them are negative qualities, and yet if I am biased to like someone I am far more forgiving and choose to overlook the negative and focus on the positive. This is often an unconscious behavior that I have and now that it has been addressed I am really going to try to put that ‘10’ over EVERYONE’S head.
I feel as though I only have one identity (being in Christ) it is consistent in such a way that I am the same person and act the same way in all my relationships. Obviously in the various roles I hold as friend, daughter, girlfriend, employee, I will use various relational messages like respect, affinity, and immediacy. But for the most part I think I’m pretty consistent with my identity in all my relationships.
I form relationships to fulfill the purpose that I know God has given me; to share His love and the truth of the gospel. My identity aids me in my relationships because my identity and purpose in forming relationships go hand-in hand.
