Who Am I?

You look in the mirror and wonder. Who am I? Why am I here? What am I supposed to do? Such philosophical questions have challenged members of the human race since Eden. How we answer those questions offers many practical implications for our daily lives.

The Gospel of Luke reveals the story of someone who was definitely identity-challenged. “When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs.... Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’ ‘Legion,’ he replied, because many demons had gone into him” (Luke 8:27, 30).1 Internal voices often guide external actions.

Paul suggests a root cause for problems with identity. “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). Then he adds: “They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised” (Romans 1:25). The denial of the identity of God can lead to a severe identity crisis within the human mind.

The God/man connection

If we want to move out of our own identity crisis, we need to rediscover who God actually is. The account of creation reveals five basic affiliations between God and humanity:

1. God is the CREATOR of humanity (Genesis

1:27). He literally formed us from mud and bone.

2. He’s the MODEL for humanity (Genesis 1:27). We were created in His image.

3. He’s the PROVIDER for humanity (Genesis 1:29). He designed and built our first home and organized the preferred menu for our meals.

4. He’s the MASTER of humanity (Genesis 1:28). He instructed Adam and Eve to make more people and tenderly care for every living thing.

5. He’s the COMPANION for humanity (Genesis 2:1-3). He set aside one day a week for fellowship and contemplation of His love. Humans are created for connection and affiliation. Loneliness and solitude were not part of the master plan. We are all God’s creatures designed to be dependent on Him, to represent Him to others, to be inclusive socially, and to serve the needs of others. That’s who we are. That’s who we were designed to be. When we choose to live in sync with our core elements, God is pleased and so are we. Live out of sync, and we look in the mirror and wonder.

Hope restored

So, if we’ve lost our connection with whom God created us to be, is there hope? Oh yes! But it may take a little work.

What were some of the results of the demonpossessed man’s encounter with Jesus? In Luke 8:35 we find him sitting “at Jesus’ feet.” This action was a sign of acknowledging the sovereignty of Christ. For years the possessed man had wandered around without clothes. But verse 35 presents the transformed man as one who is dressed. He now depends upon Jesus to address both his mental and physical needs.

The demon-possessed man was always in solitary places and in the tombs, hiding to prevent any interaction. Now, his social ability and desires were restored.

Many had tried to control him, to give him orders and instructions, all to no avail. But now, when he received an order—a mission—from Jesus, he complied without resistance: “‘Return home and tell how much God has done for you.’ So the man went away and told…how much Jesus had done for him” (Luke 8:39). In this action, he demonstrated a servant’s attitude.

Jesus could not stay in that area. He was forced to leave. But guess who remained behind and became His representative. “Though the Saviour Himself departed, the men whom He had healed remained as witnesses to His power.… When Jesus returned to Decapolis, the people flocked about Him, and for three days, not merely the inhabitants of one town, but thousands from all the surrounding region, heard the message of salvation” (Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 340).

If for some reason we’ve drifted away from our original God-created identity, our connection with Him and who we’re designed to be can be re-established.

“And souls that have been degraded into instruments of Satan are still through the power of Christ transformed into messengers of righteousness” (Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 341).