“I Was Born...For This!”

Last week, we started a two-part series entitled Identity Thieves and You. This article is the second installment of this series. The dictionary defines identity as “the fact of being who or what a person or thing is.” 

As I said last week, identity is who you are. Purpose is what you do and what you were created for. Destiny is combining identity and purpose for the mission you’re being created and assigned by God to do. Your God-given identity is for God’s destiny. Identity is “I was born.” Purpose is “for this!” Your real identity is you on the inside or your essence, your DNA. Like a computer, everyone has an IP (Identity/Purpose) address that is uniquely theirs. Don't assign yourself the wrong IP address, for heaven's and earth's sake.

A few years ago, I saw an essay entitled Happy Birthday to Me. My good friend, Pastor Gregory Lan Ijiwola, writes it. Pastor Gregory has a great church in Chicago, Illinois. He is Nigerian by birth and one of the finest examples of a Christian I have ever met.

As I read the essay, I was stunned by his thoughts, authenticity, integrity, humility, and audacity. I like the title, Happy Birthday to Me. That's undoubtedly not self-deprecating. Usually, others sing Happy Birthday to you. But Gregory has captured and articulated something we can learn and grow from. Here's his essay about his identity. 

“I have failed and have succeeded. I have fallen and have risen. I have lacked and had plenty. I have loved and struggled to love. I have dreamed and have doubted. I have laughed, and I have wept. I have feared and have dared.

"I have fought, and I have reconciled. I have broken, and I have mended. I have friended and offended. I have been sad and have been joyful. I have despaired, and I have hoped. I have been helped, and I have helped. I have lost, and I have gained. I have given, and I have withheld. I have been cold, and I have been hot. I have gone, and I have stayed. I have complained, and I have praised. I have been foolish, and I have been wise.

"Through it all, I am alive. I am loved. I am saved. I am on a journey. I am not quitting, stopping, or meandering. I am Gregory Lan Ijiwola. Always pushing forward, always dreaming, always rising, always advancing, always daring, always hoping, and always grateful. Happy Birthday to me!”

There you go, wasn’t that refreshing? Happy Birthday to Me! Someone needs Pastor Gregory's essay today. You have been through all kinds of challenges and trials. Some of those challenges and wounds were from the choices you made. Some were not. You have been up, down, and all around. 

But you are here. You are alive. So far, you’ve survived 100% of your worst days. You aren’t perfect. You’ve made mistakes. You have offended and been offended. You’ve been both wrong and right. But who you are is not what you did or have done. What you know matters, but who you are matters more. You are ‘Flawsome’: What’s ‘flawsome?’ A person who knows their flaws but also knows they are awesome. That’s by God’s design, not ours. 

The Bible says that each one of us humans is fearfully and wonderfully made. The Bible also says each of us is created in God’s image. That's identity. God took time and thought to complete each of us according to God's purposes. In other words, when the Lord made you, God looked at you and said, “I’ll never do that again!" You're unique and one of a kind. You are not an accident. You are God's workmanship, and God doesn't make any junk. God is getting you ready for what God has ready for you. You are the way you are because of why you are. There is nothing so powerful as a person or people whose time has come. The fact that you are here means this generation needs something that only you contain.

Here are some quotes from others about anchoring and understanding your identity. “The two greatest days in your life were the day you were born and the day you found out why.” “You had an identity and purpose before others had an opinion.” “Forget what people think of you. You’re a people. What do you think of you?” “Wanting to be someone else is a waste of who you are.” “Be yourself. Everyone else is taken.” “Running from your identity is a race you never win.” “When you find out how much you are worth, you will stop giving discounts. Know your worth, then add tax.” “Being less visible doesn’t make you less valuable.” “Because you were fearfully and wonderfully made, you were worth dying for.” – Jesus. 

Here’s some wisdom from James Clear. "It's hard to save poor early decisions with good late decisions. It's hard to write a best-selling book if you choose an unpopular topic. It's hard to build a happy marriage if you marry an unhappy person. It's hard to make money in real estate if you overpaid at the beginning. Certainly, things can be improved by making good decisions along the way, but the effects of poor early decisions tend to linger."

If you feel unhappy with your identity, find out why and work through it before making any rash identity changes. Wait ten years and see if you feel the same way as you do now. Why? The effects of poor early decisions tend to linger, especially when it comes to changing essence.  

What’s your takeaway? Someone will always be prettier. Someone will always be smarter. Someone will always be younger. But they will never be you. You were born, for this.