1 John 3:1 “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”
“I think; therefore I am.” These words captured 17th century French philosopher Rene Descartes’s conclusion that he could no longer doubt his existence because he was the one doing the doubting. We’ve come a long way in discovering our identity since the days of Descartes. Here are some variations I found on Amazon’s book list.
- I Tweet; Therefore I Am. Never underestimate the power of social media to shake up one’s identity.
- I Feel; Therefore I Am. Our feelings determine reality, rather than reality determining our feelings. What?
- I Sketch; Therefore I Am. If my identity fell to how well I could draw, well, I never existed.
- I Drive; Therefore I Am. So what happens if you fail your driver’s test?
- I Surf; Therefore I Am. Too bad for all us who live in the Midwest.
- I Shop; Therefore I Am. Only in America!
But a new source of affirming our existence has popped up that we should take seriously: I’m a victim; therefore I am. We’re becoming a victimization culture. Victims are the new heroes. The ones with the loudest voices. My heart goes out to all different kinds of people who have been victimized. But we do them no favor when we encourage them to let their identity be shaped by the injustices and hurts they’ve experienced.
Because I was raised in Appalachia, I grew up with a bit of a poverty complex. I’m poor; Therefore I am. But my financial status comprised only a small segment of my identity. I had to release that small segment if I hoped to discover the other parts of what made me who I am.
As believers, we don’t find our identities in wounded pasts. Or in our accomplishments. And definitely not in what other people think. God says we are his children. We are the offspring of his lavish love. What greater affirmation of our existence do we need? Knowing we belong to him makes all the difference. So let’s celebrate the truth:
I’m his child; therefore I am.