Surely you’ve seen those on-line tests which reveal the Disney Character you are? (Or which Super Hero, or which Disney Princess?) These quizzes can be fun but if you are ranked as Belle, or Mulan, or Prince Charming, does that help you to know who you truly are? Does it push you to get out of bed in the morning?
What is your identity?
Identity is our sense of who we are in relationship to other people. Various elements affect our description of ourselves, including biological, cultural, psychological, and social.
Is there a spiritual side to our identity?
You bet there is!
Did you know that you were born a spiritual person?
(It’s the way God made us.)
How about a little pre-worship preparation? Around the family dinner table? (Or wherever your family is gathered together.) And de-brief afterwards!
Here are some potential discussion points/activities:
Play a dinner table game of Twenty-Questions, focusing on identifying people.
Ask your table guests: What words would describe who you are?
What if we describe ourselves as a violin player, but then, later on, we can no longer afford to play violin? Or what if we say that we are an athlete, but when we get older, we may no longer be able to participate in sports? How can it help to broaden our focus in thinking about who we are — to think beyond what we do, or what we look like?
What words do you suppose Jesus would use to describe you? (Acknowledge the feelings expressed.)
I’m thinking that when we allow Jesus to define who we are, we get a much fuller picture!
Here is one way that is appropriate to see ourselves… Get out a Bible and read this verse from 1 John 3:1:
See what amazing love the Father has given us! Because of it, we are called children of God. And that’s what we really are!
How does it feel to know that you are a “child of God” – something that you never have to worry about growing out of?
For older kids: How can we use the notion of being a child of God to protect us from society’s push to own the next best thing or to be the biggest money-maker?
Here’s a potential “Write it on the fridge” project… Write on the top of a piece of paper “What I Want To Do In My Lifetime.” Allow family members and household guests to add their ideas.
I’m looking forward to hearing what the youth have to tell us about their identity!
Photo credits:
Youth photos used by permission; rest of photos from my archives. Clip art from http://www.wpclipart.com/
Family Faith Companion 