05/11/2026
Who Am I?
The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. Psalm 92:12-13
For the past several weeks the young adults at UHBC and I have spent time talking about who we want to be, and how we grow into that. There are several people that others want us to be, but the best possible version of us is the one God made us to be. We can get caught up trying to force ourselves into a box by pretending to be someone we're not or trying to become a version of somebody else we see. Often, we come with expectations that we were never made to live into. Ultimately, God has made us who we are - to be people fully alive.
Becoming who God made us to be doesn't just happen, it's an intentional movement toward practices that will help bring about the best possible version of ourselves and helps us answer the question, "Who am I?"
Over the course of the past five weeks, we've focused on the following practices:
One: Renewing Our Mind.
What am I giving my mind to? What are the thoughts and voices I am allowing to become my inner dialogue? We've all heard "garbage in, garbage out", and we know this to be true.
Two: Vision.
How am I living a vision for my life? Is life happening by accident, or am I intentionally pursuing vision? Pursuing vision begins with intentional prayer.
Cultivating Vision
1. Start with Prayer - What do I see God doing with me and how does it bless others?
2. Motives - Do I want what I want for the right reasons?
3. Be Specific - We can't measure what isn't specific, so write it down.
4. Include others - Who will share the journey with you?
5. Celebrate - When you get somewhere celebrate.
6. Dream Big - What is bigger than you?
7. Nothing Overnight - Good things don't happen overnight. It takes time.
Three: Community.
We can't be fully alive if we're not connected to people, each of us needs others who see us, and we need to see others. Not only do we need people in our lives who are fountains of life, we need to be those kinds of people for others. Life can be difficult, so we need cheerleaders and those who remind us to not give up. The only people we can change is ourselves, so we start with ourselves and become what we hope to see in others.
Four: Choosing Change.
Often, we want a life free of difficulty and challenge, however we are made for challenges. The Spirit of God is a constant pusher out of comfort, apathy, and status quo. For us to thrive, we must be invested in the thriving of others. Maybe God has mountains for all of us to climb and climbing those mountains engages our gifts and abilities we've been given. When Jesus invited the disciples to deny themselves and take up their cross, he was inviting them into a life of sacrificial love and serving others. When we accept the challenge of following Jesus, we live into this same call and embrace the power of change.
As you enter this next season of life, perhaps this is a good time to think through who you are and who you are becoming. Maybe, it's a good time to sit with these four practices and live fully into who God is calling you to be.
