Question
Who am I?
Reflection
Our culture often teaches us to define ourselves by production — what we create, earn, or achieve. But those variable titles will change throughout the course of our lives, so the true meaning behind our identity is linked to our purpose.
The Okinawan idea of ikigai shares that our identity is comprised of what we love, what we’re good at, what the world needs, and what we can be paid for. Other cultures have similar ideas regarding how to best define yourself, yet the key to developing a true identity starts at knowing our purpose. Once we know how we were designed, then we can define who we are.
The Christian faith teaches that identity begins with intentional design by a Creator. Since we are made in the image of a Creator, our passions, talents, and experiences aren’t random; they’re gifts, shaped with intention. Using them to serve something larger than ourself makes life purposeful and full of love.
In this view, identity isn’t something we invent; it’s something wereceive. Our worth doesn’t depend on what we do or how much we accomplish. It comes from who made us — and how we live out that design with integrity, compassion, and care for the world around us.
Takeaway
You are a person of purpose, uniquely designed to bring something good into the world.
Who you are isn’t measured by what you achieve, but by how you love, create, and give.
Your true identity begins not with doing, but with being — being known, being loved, and being part of something greater than yourself.