Our culture today has become crazy about their identity. The belief that each person has their “own truth” has taken root in our younger generation. We daily hear people making bold claims about their gender, race, and even humanity.
“I do not feel comfortable being a man or a woman, so MY truth is that I am a non-binary person.”
“I don’t identify with the Caucasian family I was raised in. My truth is that I am Asian.”
“Good morning Mrs. Smith. I just want you to know that Sally has been identifying as a cat for the last few days. She will only meow and purr when communicating with us. We are trying to support her as she is exploring the possibilities of her true identity, so we packed some warm milk and tuna for her lunch today.”
Instead of being concerned and responsibly seeking help for their children, today’s parents are allowing this confusion. If they do reach out for help, they are told to be sensitive to their child’s truth-seeking journey. Between school, social media, and television, children are not only being indoctrinated to accept this cultural craze, but many are also feeling pressured to choose a different identity than the one they were born with.
Interestingly enough, since this movement picked up speed in the last decade, so have teenage suicides. According to the Trevor Project, a 2023 national survey concluded that 41% of LGBTQ young people seriously considered suicide in the past year. New York Mag claims that the suicide rate among Americans ages 10-24 increased by nearly 60% since 2018. There are instances of young people on hospital suicide watches who reported confusion about changing genders and regretted taking transitioning medications.
In light of these astounding facts, where do I fit as a Christian in today’s cultural identity crisis?
There is Only One Truth
According to the Word of God, truth is not relative. In other words, truth is not based on what one person believes over another. There is only one Truth.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.” – John 14:6
Not only is Jesus the Truth, He is the Word of God.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” – John 1:1
This means the foundation for every truth in this universe is based on the Word of God. When God created life, He created a man and a woman in His own image.
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; man and female created he them.” – Genesis 1:27
He did not give the man or the woman a choice in their genders. In Psalm 139, the psalmist tells us that when we were conceived, God saw us and fashioned us in our mother’s womb. He even has a book with our name on it where He has written down every detail about us.
Not only did God choose your gender, but He is also thinking about you constantly (Psalm 139:17 & 18). He has made you capable of conquering hard things (Romans 8:37). He has your best interest in mind (Jeremiah 29:11). He loves you more than you could ever know (John 3:16)!
We do not have our own truths about ourselves that we can make up in our minds. The truth of what we are is in what God created us to be. If you start to feel confused about your identity, look to the Word of God for the truth.
“For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace…” – 1 Corinthians 14:33a
Sometimes we feel as though our hearts are telling us we are something other than what God created us to be. Don’t believe your heart. The Bible tells us that our hearts lie to us (Jeremiah 17:9)!
Our Identity is in Christ
Humbling ourselves before Christ is the only way to find forgiveness of sins. When we finally come to the end of our own strength and wisdom and realize we are nothing – that is where we find Christ. Believing in our hearts and confessing with our mouths that Jesus Christ died and rose from the grave is our Salvation!
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” – Romans 10:9
Once we accepted this amazing gift of salvation, we become children of God and are given an identity in Christ.
According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, the first known use of the word identity dates back to the 1500s. Its earliest definition was “sameness of character in different instances.” If our identities are in Christ, we should resemble Christ in every aspect of our lives.
“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son…” Romans 8:29
Christ showed humility, compassion, obedience to the Father, boldness, and authority in His walk on this earth. Do we resemble Christ in our beliefs and lifestyles? Do we resemble Christ in our friendships and conversations? Or are we trying to choose our own identity?
Walk the Path of Truth
In this confusing cultural crisis, it is important for Christians to walk in Truth.
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” – 3 John 1:4
Many Christians today believe that they can choose what their walk with God will look like. Almost like a child circling all the toys he wants for Christmas in the big toy catalog, they try to pick and choose the parts of Jesus they want to be.
“I’ll be kind to others, and go to church on Sunday mornings, but don’t ask me to give up my music that degrades women and promotes drugs, sex, and murder.”
We want one foot on the narrow path of truth, and one foot on the wide path of destruction. Many second-generation Christians struggle with wanting to be on the path at all.
“Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therin, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.” – Jeremiah 6:16
There is no rest for the traveler on the wide path of destruction. Anxiety and depression are on the incline in Christian young people today because many are trying to walk on 2 different paths. They think they can be a Christian, but still believe in this world’s philosophies and false truths. Just like Joshua admonished the children of Israel to “choose you this day whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15), Christians today must choose what path to walk on.
Walking in truth is something that will be noticeable to others around you. John heard from the brethren about the faithfulness of Gaius in the church and his testimony in the community. He was not only faithful in attendance but in his generosity and care of the brethren.
“For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.” – 3 John 1:3
By the way, don’t be offended if people start to notice you are living a lifestyle that goes against God’s Word. John wrote a warning about a man named Diotrephes in the church. Diotrephes was an attention-seeking man who said harmful things about the apostles behind their backs. He was not content to serve in the church like Gaius and refused to minister to the apostles. John ended his warning by telling the brethren to not follow evil but to follow good. (3 John 1:9-11)
Conclusion
Today’s identity crisis has created a new culture for our younger generation. Children, teenagers, and young adults have never been more confused. And despite the validation and encouragement these confused kids are getting from the media and their peers, they are still struggling with anxiety and depression.
Christians don’t need to be confused or in crisis, for we have the truth of God’s Word. We know that our identity is in Christ. If we choose to walk the Path of Truth, God has promised us rest.
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