When you don’t know what to do next, always remember who you are
Recently I was in a group Zoom call with a bunch of content creators. Everyone in the group is trying to figure out how to share their wealth of information and expertise to help people solve their problems and have a positive influence in the world.
And we’re all at different places in that process. Some of the folks were struggling because they didn’t know what the next step was they should take. They expressed a lot of uncertainty about what to do and their ability to do it.
Have you ever worked on a project, at work, at home, at school, or even at church, and you got just so far, but didn’t know what to do next? Maybe you hit a roadblock and couldn’t go forward. Sometimes those roadblocks are the internal negative self-talk of thinking: I’m not smart enough, good enough. Or it’s fear of making wrong decisions, or not understanding what the problem is.
Other times the roadblock is made up of external factors like resources not being available or someone not doing what they’re supposed to do so we can do what we need to do.
I started to think of all the “reasons” I had not gone forward with some of the projects I’m working on at the moment, but before I got very far beating myself up for not being on task more consistently, Paul, the leader of the group, cut right to the heart of the matter.
Remember who you are
He said, “Whenever you’re stuck and don’t know what to do next, all you need to do is answer a simple, three word question: Who are you? Then, you’ll know exactly what the next step is that you need to take.”
At first I thought this was a bit naïve, but the more I thought about it and the more he explained what he meant, it really began to make sense.
Paul pointed out that when you know who you are, and he’s not talking about what you do, or how others define you, but when you know who you are at the very core of your being on a deep spiritual level, you won’t get distracted by the things that aren’t important to you fulfilling your purpose, to you being who you are. And you’ll see a next step you can take to work toward fulfilling your purpose.
Several times since that Zoom call, I’ve tried this little exercise. The other day when I was distracted with Social Media, I asked myself this question: Who are you, James? And it instantly snapped me out of being distracted and I knew exactly what I needed to do next, in this case, it was working on another podcast episode.
Your spiritual identity
How would you answer that question: Who are you? And I mean on a deep spiritual level, not the surface stuff we’ve been talking about, the way we usually identify ourselves.
For me, first I have to answer I’m a child of God made in His image and likeness. I’m an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ. That’s from Romans 8:17.
Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, Romans 8:17 NIV
This is my spiritual identity. This is who I am. This is who you are too.
Does that mean we all have the exact same purpose, the exact same spiritual identity everyone else does? Are we just carbon copies or duplicates of each other?
Not at all. We each have a unique purpose in God’s creation and part of the adventure here on earth is to discover how God has created you, who God has created you to be, distinct from everyone else.
Gideon’s new view of himself
So, I’ve been thinking about people in the Bible who discovered who they were, who got a sense of their spiritual purpose in life.
I talk a lot about Gideon on the podcast because he’s such a great example of so many things. In light of today’s topic, think how God reveals Himself to Gideon and transforms the way Gideon sees and identifies himself.
When the angel of the Lord first appeared to Gideon, he saluted him in a way far above how Gideon saw himself.
When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.” Judges 6:12 NIV
Up to this point, Gideon had not seen himself as a mighty warrior. He identified himself by his situation, time, and place in life. He saw himself as a victim of an oppressive regime, the Midianites. He felt insignificant and incapable of doing or being anyone important because of the way he defined himself.
We get a clue of his limited perspective on himself in,
“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, [which was the smallest tribe in Israel] and I am the least in my family.” Judges 6:15 NIV
There’s a lot more to this story, which you can read in Judges, Chapter 6 and Chapter 7.
Gideon always knew what to do next
As Gideon let go of the old way he saw himself and began to see himself in a new light of capabilities and possibilities, and most importantly, chosen by God for a specific purpose, he always knew the next thing he needed to do, whether it was God telling him to reduce the size of his troops down to 300, to spy out the enemy camp during the night, or how to go to battle with torches, clay jugs, and trumpets.
Now, you may be thinking: Hey James, Gideon didn’t just automatically know what to do next because he knew who he was. God told him each step to take along the way.
Well, that’s exactly my point. When you know who you are as a child of God, and don’t get distracted by how the world defines you, you’ll hear God’s voice and you’ll know what to do because God is telling you each step to take.
You may not hear a voice and realize it’s God talking to you. But whenever you get a good idea to do something that’s part of being who you are as a child of God and fulfilling your purpose, it’s God who gives you that idea, whether you realize it at the time or not.
Jesus knew who he was
Of course, the best example of someone in the Bible knowing who they are is Jesus.
Think about it. Jesus had no doubt of his identity. He knew he was the Son of God, the Messiah.
How was he so sure? Because his heavenly Father told him.
Even at the early age of 12, Jesus knew God was his Father and that he had a purpose to fulfill by doing God’s will. When Mary and Joseph found him in the Jerusalem Temple after three days of searching, he had a very simple answer.
And he said to them, “Why did you seek me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?” Luke 2:49 NKJV
As an adult, when Jesus was baptized, there was a public revelation of who Jesus was.
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:16, 17 NIV
This is the only way to really know who you are, when God tells you. That voice from heaven was a powerful confirmation of what Jesus already knew in his heart and it was not just for Jesus, but for everyone who was standing there.
When you’re tempted, remember who you are
Have you ever had a clear message, perhaps even a voice from God, telling you that you are His dearly loved child or that He has a purpose for you? Maybe it’s not words as much as it is a spiritual awareness and feeling a closeness to God.
The odd thing is, when this has happened to me, sometimes immediately afterwards, there are times of doubt and discouragement.
But I’ve learned, from what happened next to Jesus, not to be caught off guard. Right after this voice from heaven that Jesus was the Son of God, Jesus was in the wilderness tempted by the devil. And what was the real temptation? It wasn’t just to make the stones into bread, jump off the pinnacle of the temple, or worship Satan. The real temptation was in one little word, “if.”
Twice the devil said,
“If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
“If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down.” Matthew 4:3, 6 NIV
The real temptation was to doubt who he knew he was, who God had revealed him to be.
But Jesus didn’t fall for this shallow temptation. He was completely confident of who he was.
When God reveals who you are and your purpose, don’t be fooled by that little word “if’ the devil throws at you trying to get you to doubt what God has revealed to you.
Throughout his ministry, Jesus never doubted who he was, even when others doubted or had no real clarity he was the Christ.
You don’t have to prove who you are
Think about people you know personally or maybe people you see in the News or on Social Media. How often are they trying to convince you of who they are, or who they think they are, or who they want you to think they are, by showing off their fancy homes, elaborate lifestyles, perfect physiques, perfect churches, perfect everything.
Because I follow people on Social Media who are interested in the Bible, I get a lot of videos of people arguing why their church or their theology is better than everyone else’s. Then someone from a different church will explain why their church is the one true church.
One day, there were people from at least five different theological backgrounds or faith traditions each explaining why they were right and everyone else was wrong. How their church was perfect and everyone else’s wasn’t. And how did they do this? By explaining their doctrines, or their ceremonies and how they worshiped, or the way their priests were ordained. And on and on it went.
It seemed to me they were actually just justifying to themselves why they believed and practiced their faith the way they did. Not one of these videos talked about how to follow Jesus, how to love your neighbor as yourself, or how to forgive. It was all about doctrine and church traditions.
Now you may be wondering: James, what is your point here?
So glad you asked.
Jesus never forced anyone to believe he was Christ
Jesus never defined who he was as the Messiah by his teachings. He was so confident in his identity he didn’t need to advertise it and try to convince people who he was. He never forced or manipulated anyone to accept him as the Messiah.
He relied more on his actions to convince them.
When John the Baptist, who was imprisoned at the time, sent some of his followers to ask Jesus if he was indeed the Messiah, Jesus didn’t tell him yes or quote his teachings, It was not by theological doctrine that Jesus proved who he was, but by his actions.
When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Matthew 11:2-5 NIV
Why did Jesus tell them to tell John what he was doing? Because these healings were part of what the Old Testament prophesied the Messiah would do. Jesus was telling them to connect the dots. If the Scriptures prophesied the Messiah would heal and Jesus was healing in that way, let the people realize for themselves that Jesus was the Messiah.
Jesus let his actions prove who he was
Jesus took the same approach with some Jews who wanted to know if he was the Messiah.
The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, John 10:24, 25 NIV
Jesus let his actions, the works he did in the Father’s name, reveal who he was.
There were a few rare occasions when Jesus told someone he was the Christ. For example the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well and the man who had been born blind and was healed by Jesus. But these were private moments, not part of some public campaign to prove he was the Messiah.
Jesus knew who he was and let his actions show it to others.
Maybe you’ve heard the saying: When someone shows you who they really are, believe them. There’s a lot of truth in this. People can put on a good show and say the right words, but they show you who they are by their actions.
Remember who you are; be who you are
How do you show the world who you are? By trying to convince everyone what a great person you are, how smart and rich you are, by what you say, and the image you create for yourself?
Or do you just go about your business, being who you are, letting your actions speak for you?
I think the reason a lot of people are trying to convince others how amazing they are, is because they don’t really know who they are as a child of God.
When you know you’re the dearly loved child of God, you don’t have to prove it to anyone. You don’t have to advertise. You just know it and you live it. You let your light shine and others notice.
But what if you’re not sure who you are? How do you figure out who you are? Well, the place to start is the broad universal fact that is true about everyone: you are the child of God. Admitting that to yourself is sometimes the hardest step because we have believed what the world tells us. We’ve accepted how the world defines us.
Or, sometimes, we are convinced we have created who we are, either in a positive or negative way. But with that perspective, you will always be trying to justify to yourself and others why you are a certain way. But with that perspective, you’ll always be trying to justify to yourself and others, why you’re a certain way.
You are God’s creation
I love this verse in Psalms. It cuts right to the heart of the matter.
Know that the LORD, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Psalm 100:3 NKJV
It all comes back to the fact God is your creator and you are God’s creation, the image and likeness of God, loved and cherished. That is who you are.
You don’t have to make it true. It is already true. You just need to embrace it and live out from it. The more you do that, the more you’ll begin to glimpse more of who you are, your spiritual identity and purpose.
By the way, I’ve put together a play list of previous episodes on the podcast that talk about finding your spiritual identity. It’s called: The Journey of Self-Discovery.
Discovering who I am
When I got serious about my faith in high school, a friend was very judgmental of me because I left the church she and I were members of and joined a different church. She was so sure her version of Christianity was the only true one.
At first I was deeply hurt and very upset. But it actually turned out to be a blessing because I realized I didn’t want anyone else to feel the self-righteous condemnation from people like her. I began to feel a calling to work toward unity in the whole of the Christian church, the body of Christ, as St. Paul calls it.
For many years that sense of purpose was almost invisible in my daily life. There were times I told God He would have to find someone else to do that job. But I never completely gave up the possibility that I would be able to contribute to the overall unity in the body of Christ to some degree. Over the last 10 years or so, and especially now with my podcast the last 5 ½ years, I’m beginning to see how God is using me to bring unity to the body of Christ.
I used to joke that my place in the body of Christ was probably the little toenail, or something like that. But I’ve come to see now, that I’m actually part of the skin, as a metaphor, that unifies the body.
So far, there’s been nothing dramatic, but in small ways God is opening doors for me to share how the true body of Christ can never be divided by theological disagreements, or anything else. Every time I remember who I am, it helps me stay focused on what God wants me to do. And I can take the next step.
Always remember who you are, the child of God
This is true for you as well. You have a unique purpose. You are who God has created and revealed you to be.
Who are you? Ask yourself this question often. Deep down, in the core of your being, your spiritual intuitions know exactly who you are as a child of God, even if on the surface you don’t think you do. It may not be crystal clear to you, but there is an inkling somewhere inside you of what your unique purpose is.
Listen to that inner voice in you. Trust it. Ask God to reveal more to you who you are and what His purpose for you is.
You are not defined by your past, your fears, what others think about you, or any external circumstances.
If you go along with the way the world defines you, or the way you think others want you to be, you’ll always do the next thing to impress others with someone you’re not.
Remember who you are. God alone defines you, has already defined you, as His dear child. The more you walk in that light, the more you will know, without a doubt who you are. And you will always hear God’s voice telling you the next step to take.
Photo Credit: Melissa Askew
Playlist of previous episodes on finding your identity: The Journey of Self-Discovery
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James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and church mentor. He conducts Bible workshops online and in person. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. Contact him here.
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Bible References
Romans 8:17 NIV
17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ,
Judges 6:12 NIV
12 When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”
Judges 6:15 NIV
15 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, [which was the smallest tribe in Israel] and I am the least in my family.”
Luke 2:49 NKJV
49 And he said to them, “Why did you seek me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?”
Matthew 3:16, 17 NIV
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.
17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Matthew 4:3, 6 NIV
3 “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down.”
Matthew 11:2-5 NIV
2 When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples
3 to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see:
5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.
John 10:24, 25 NIV
24 The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me,
Psalm 100:3 NKJV
3 Know that the LORD, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
