Where do you look for your identity?
You’ve heard it before – change is the only constant. Life if full of transitions. It can begin to feel like the moment we settle into one season, life demands we adjust to a new one.
I have good news for you! God promises to walk with us through them all. Deuteronomy 31:6 reminds us: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
No matter what “change” you’re facing today, God is the Changeless One. And you are His child. That means you never walk alone.
In this week’s post, my friend Jill Hart shares about how we can find our identity in Christ – no matter our season of life.
Seasons of Finding Yourself
We often hear about “seasons of life,” especially when something tough happens in our life. As the years go by, I am also noticing what I like to call “seasons of finding myself.” This applied primarily to times in our life when a major shift has occurred, and we must readjust our view of ourselves – our identity – into a new normal.
Some of these major life shifts may include:
- Becoming a wife
- Becoming a mother
- New life-stages of motherhood (infants, toddlers, elementary age, tweens, teens, adult children)
- Transitioning home from the corporate world
- Going back to school
- Starting a new job
I have experienced each of these stages, and each one seems to throw me off while I sort-out what my new identity or role is. For example, when my children transitioned from toddlers to school age, I had to determine what my role would now be. My role as their mother hadn’t completely changed, but new role opportunities had been added – Room Parent, School Volunteer, PTA Parent, etc. I now had to decide what level of involvement I would have in my children’s day-to-day lives while they were at school.
These life seasons happen in marriage as well. As a new wife I floundered for a while trying to nail down exactly what my role as a wife would look like. The longer I am married, the more adjustments are made to this role – some seasons of rest and some seasons where I am more intentional in working on this particular role.
Lately I find myself in a whole new season of finding myself. I realized a while back that my children would be moving into adulthood in just a few short years. Therefore, my role as a mom will once again be changing. The “mom” role has been a huge part of my identity for so long that I began to wonder what my life might look like once my children no longer lived at home. As I thought long and hard about this, I realized that it was time for a new personal challenge. I decided to start Grad School and begin working toward a new career.
It has been quite an adjustment, but it has been energizing most of all. It has been fun to share the journey with my family and to have them celebrate my successes.
The beauty found within these changes is that no matter what season we find ourselves in; no matter how hard we’re working to understand our identity in each new season, we are always secure in Christ. He alone is to be our anchor in each storm and season of life.
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” ~ Ephesians 2:10, NLT
More About Jill Hart
Thanks so much, Jill, for sharing your journey with us!
Jill Hart founded Christian Work at Home Ministries (CWAHM) in 2000 to assist other Christians who desire to work from home. She is the author of the devotional book, Do Life Different and co-author of So You Want To Be a Work-at-Home Mom.
Jill is a Life and Business Coach and is working to complete her master’s degree in Professional Counseling. Learn more about Jill at www.CWAHM.com.
Disclosure: I make a small commission for purchases made through any affiliate links used in this post.
I’d love to hear from you…What is God teaching you in your season of life?