Imaginary Identity
How your culture imposes and identity on you.
This post is part of a series gathered under the tag Becoming a Cultivator. Lord willing, I hope to publish these posts in a journal/book format. You can read the previous post here.
Who says what makes for a life well lived? Who says what makes someone beautiful, successful, and valuable? Who determines if your life is a success or not?
Who gets to say?
The cultures we live in. Cultures answer these questions for us, imposing imaginary identities on us and forcing us to decide whether to accept them or rest in our true identity in Christ.
When I was a senior in high school, I was convinced that winning a state championship in my favorite track and field event, the 110-meter high hurdles, would prove I was worthy. I decided that winning a state championship would prove my worth, and pursuing one became a massive part of my identity.
But where did I get the idea that a state championship could prove anything about my worth? Why did I decide the outcome of a single race, lasting less than 15 seconds, would justify my existence and make me righteous?
Because my culture had instilled in me the idea that being a state champion could bring worth and dignity to my existence, because my culture had put winning on a pedestal. The thousands of people who gathered each year to watch the state championship track and field meet were social proof of how important winning was.
My culture imposed its imaginary identity on me, an identity based on what others celebrated rather than who I was in Christ.
But from a Biblical perspective, winning a state championship is an imaginary identity. Nowhere in God’s word does it say, “The teenage men shall gather together and compete to see who can run in a straight line while jumping over barriers, and the winner shall stand righteous before me.”
Ecclesiastes 1:14: I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
Too many people read Ecclesiastes and come to the wrong conclusion. The reader reads verse 14 and others like it and thinks, “I see, everything I do in this life is meaningless apart from Christ.” But that’s not Solomon’s point. His point is that everything is vain, meaning like a vapor, and this is true regardless of whether or not you know Christ as your Savior and are intentionally living for the good of others and the glory of God.
Imaginary identities and worldly achievements cannot hold the weight of our soul’s need for identity, dignity, and worth. Only Christ can bear that weight.
Looking back on his life, Solomon recognizes that all his achievements, each far more impressive than a state championship in track and field, were but a mere vapor. Solomon’s achievements made him no more or less valuable than anyone else.
What lasts is not the achievement itself, but who we are in Christ.
This is a harsh truth, but the reality is that the vast majority of the achievements we chase are nothing more than figments of our culture’s collective mind. We convince ourselves that the truths of Ecclesiastes don’t apply in our modern world and believe we can escape the vanity of life through imaginary identities, but in reality, they are a vain pursuit, unable to provide us with the dignity, worth, and identity we hope they will.
These imaginary identities are built on the shifting sands of cultural norms and opinions, continually evolving. In that sense, they are impossible to achieve because the moment they are completed, new standards, rules, and achievements emerge from your culture’s expectations.
Romans 12:2: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Renewing your mind as Paul described requires meditating on God’s Word daily, conversing with God through prayer, and engaging in intentional conversations about life with mature believers as often as possible. The more you do these things, the more you will see Jesus transform your search for identity by securing your true identity in Himself. His finished work on the cross and His resurrection reveal the true identity of every believer: Heir to the one true God through faith alone in Christ alone.
This realization frees the Christian to pursue excellence in all things for the glory of God rather than for the glory of self because God alone deserves the credit and glory for securing our Salvation and identity. This is the first step toward having a renewed mind and seeing imaginary identities for what they are.
In Christ, the imaginary identities of your culture can become opportunities to proclaim the good news of Jesus and to demonstrate to the world that the things of this life are what you do, not who you are.
Matthew 5:16: In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Receiving your identity in Christ means seeing imaginary identities for what they are and choosing to use them as Christ’s ambassadors. If I could go back in time, I would choose to be more intentional about being salt and light as a high school athlete. I would have pursued excellence in sports with just as much vigor, but my purpose would have been much different.
These lessons can be applied beyond personal ambition. They extend into what it means to be a good father, or sister, or friend, or member of the body of Christ. They even apply to life’s greatest trials, like terminal cancer.
That’s why Da’Nelle and I have done our best to use her terminal cancer diagnosis as an opportunity to be salt and light in our community and beyond. We have tried to find joy in sharing our story and inviting others to learn and grow along with us as we walk this difficult path.
We’ve come to realize that terminal cancer is not our identity. Fighting as courageously as we can is not who we are; it’s what believers in Christ do when faced with adversities and trials. Terminal cancer cannot touch our true identity in Christ. It can only reveal it.
Prayer: Lord, grant me wisdom to discern my true identity in Christ from the imaginary identities of my culture. Forgive my pursuit of vain achievements, and teach me to seek excellence for Your glory alone.
Reflection:
What are some imaginary identities your culture has created that you have pursued?
Recall a time you chased an imaginary identity. How does recognizing its cultural roots change your perspective?
What are some ways you can ensure your current opportunities, obligations, and responsibilities aren’t a pursuit after an imaginary identity, but are helping you live out your true identity in Christ for the good of others and the glory of God?