Identities and Roots
- Joshua Chang
- Oct 14, 2015
- 3 min read
What Is, and Could Have Been
Each person is unique in their crafting. Psalm 139 is famous for stating that we are wonderfully and fearfully made. We were knitted together in our mother’s womb, and created with purpose.
Unfortunately, when Satan tricked man into falling into sin, one of the things that Satan tried to do was mess up our identities. Our original identities as children of God became messed up as the world fell into darkness. As a result we were no longer loving spouses, loving siblings, honest people, and God fearers. Rather, children became orphans, parents became deadbeats, siblings became enemies, and people became God haters.
Yet the beauty of Christ’s death and resurrection lies in the fact that He was in the business of reconciliation. Once in Him, we were given back our identities and able to live out our lives as proper children of God.
So Who is Joshua Chang Now?
So when asked, what my identity is, I can honestly say that I am first and foremost a child of God. I am ROOTED in the fact that my life revolves around God being my loving Father. This identity is full of gratefulness as I am able to reap the benefits of having a loving father all because of what Jesus did for me. This is the core of who I am.
From there, my identity as a child of God connects to other outlets of my life. One outlet is me being a family man. Before I met Christ, I was a boy of impatience, temper, and selfishness towards my family. I showed no forgiveness, and was often angry or annoyed towards my brother or parents, yet when the core of who I am changed to a Child of God, I am now a family man. I love my brother and parents. I became a peacemaker through helping my parents reconcile their relationship with my brother. I became concerned with the happiness and well being of my family.
Another outlet of my identity from my core identity is my adventurous heart. I genuinely believe that God speaks to me through His creation. It seems like everyone has different ways that they connect with God, its part of having personal relationships with God. The way God connects with me most is through viewing life as a grand adventure. One of the greatest promises I received from God was that if I chose to follow Him, I would have an adventure and experience that far outweighs a life that does not obey Him. Since I made the decision to follow Him, I have not been disappointed as He adventures with me in surfing, backpacking, missions, and ministry.
There are many other aspects of who I am, but at my core, and near my core are these virtues about me. I feel that God speaks to me through my adventurous heart, I feel God has made me into a man who values family and relationships, and at my core, I am a child of God who was changed and loved by Him.
Who I Aspire to Be
Although there are many things I am now, that can change in the future. There are things about me that won’t change, such as being a child of God, being a man who loves family, being a man of adventure, but I’m not done living yet, and I’m not done changing yet either. My identity will change, and I hope to be more of a Godly man than I am now.
I aspire one day to be a loving husband.
I aspire one day to be a fun and good father.
I aspire one day to be a minister who loves His flock.
I aspire to be a minister who does ministry right, but differently (with adventure)
I aspire to be an avid surfer and lover of outdoors to my ripe old age.
I aspire to be faithful.
In the end, in spite of all my aspirations, I still aspire one thing…
No matter how much my skin wrinkles, old my bones grow, weak my flesh become; I aspire to always be a child. A child of God.
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