the two big questions in life
There are two big life questions every young person faces:
Who am I? (what’s my identity?)
Why am I here? (what’s my purpose?)
In the rush to get going in life, we all unthinkingly adopt the same answer:
The reason I’m here is to create who I am. In other words, my purpose is to create my identity.
That’s why so many of us are incredibly ambitious: when our purpose becomes all about creating our identity, the pressures on us to ensure we have the right image, achievements, and lifestyle.
This path can feel good at first, but always ends in emptiness and exhaustion. Why? Because you’ll never be done. Even if you start well, you’ll never be able to take a break, much less make a mistake, for fear your identity will fade away. This is why we’re all so overworked (I need to achieve more!), insecure (am I achieving enough?), and anxious (what if I don’t achieve enough?). Not to mention self-obsessed.
But Jesus provides a radical antidote by answering these two big questions with one simple verse: “Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
If you seek Jesus’ righteousness, you’ll get an identity that can never go away, because it’s based on Christ’s achievements and not your own. You don’t have to worry about whether you’re first or last because you’re in him.
This then allows your purpose to completely change: your life is no longer about building your own kingdom but rather serving in his. If you’re weary from the heavy burden of finding your purpose in creating your own identity, go to Christ and rest in him.
