The Root of Identity

Where It All Starts

At some point, as we continue to age, the deeper questions about life begin to pop up. A lot of times, these questions show up unannounced, demanding an immediate, clear response. Sometimes it happens when you've just graduated, choosing a career, entering a relationship, trying to grow spiritually, comparing ourselves to others, or wondering why we don't feel fulfilled even when we have provision. Most of the time, we think the problem is that we do not know what to do next. But sometimes, the deeper issue is that we have not fully understood who we are. We are all currently building from somewhere psychologically. Some people are building from pressure. Some are building from pain. Some are building from what their family expects. Some are building from trends, fear, survival, attention, or the need to be accepted. In all this, many people do not realize what has been shaping them until they stop completely to ask the right questions. Being clear and conscious of our identity is knowing our root and the soil it's planted in. Before purpose can make sense, identity must be confronted. Before potential can be developed, identity must be understood. Before principles can truly govern a person, they must be aware of the source of their identity and its origin. So this week, we are not rushing to give answers or state the obvious. We are going to sit with the questions that quietly shape the direction of our lives and alter the destiny of all: Who am I? Where am I from? What can I do? Why am I here? What should govern me? Where am I going? These questions may sound simple, but they are not small. They reveal what has been defining us, what has been limiting us, what has been directing us, and what we may have accepted without examining. The life we build will only be as strong as the root we build it from.

Read next

• Can Character Exist Without a Source?
• Competence at the Cost of Character in Careers
• Politics and the Charisma of Competence