College years: Questions. Beliefs. Philosophies. Experiments. Anxieties. Relationships. Hopes. Dreams.
College years/early 20’s: one of the primary times of life in forming and discovering identity, belief systems and purpose.
The only place that will truly fulfill or answer those longings, questions and searchings is God and His Word. The only One who can truly tell us about who we are or what we are supposed to do with our lives is the One who created us and knows us better than we know ourselves; it is God and God alone who is the giver of identity and purpose. God is the author and perfecter of our faith (and our lives) (Hebrews 12:2).
Psalm 139
O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thoughts afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. .. For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise you, For I am fearfully and wonderfully made… My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me…
We are valuable and precious to God. He made us and He knows everything about us. And He loves us. Not only that, but He sent His own Son to die on behalf of us. He loves us so much, that He would sacrifice everything so that we could know Him and know how much we are loved and how much worth we have.
So who am I? I am made in the image of God. I am loved. I have been redeemed through Jesus’ blood on the cross. I am made new and pure through His sacrifice. I have been fully accepted into the Beloved as a daughter in the family of God. That is my identity.
Nothing I do, acquire, accomplish or what I look like will ever define who I am. My identity is found in Jesus Christ and what He thinks and says about me.
Revelation 5:9-10
And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; For You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.”
Through Jesus, the primary identity and purpose of our lives is revealed. Anything else we search after or aspire to be outside of this will leave us empty and only satisfied for a short time before we being to look again. Our redemption through Jesus settles the issue of identity once and for all. It also settles the question of why we are on the planet and what our purpose is in living.
Revelation 5 says that because Jesus was slain: 1)We have identity as one redeemed. 2) He came for every single person on the planet (the work of the Cross is not exclusive) 3) Our primary occupation and purpose is to be a priest and king!
Not only have we been given identity, but also define purpose and calling. As believers and lovers of Jesus, we can settle the issue of what our purpose is because we were made to be Priests….to minister to God and Worship Him! In everything we do – work, study, family, jobs, travel, etc., we are called to be a priest first and foremost. We were made for worship. We were given our identity in Jesus so that we would be filled with awe, thanksgiving, love and adoration for truly find the satisfaction of our souls in the place of praise, worship and prayer.
Forever this is what we will be doing. Revelation 4-5 is a picture of what is going on in heaven right now, and what takes place around the throne of God. It is worship. It is praise and proclamation of the holiness and worthiness of Jesus. Heaven is about worship. All created things are made for the glory and praise of God. We will forever, for all eternity, be worshiping Jesus. We may as well get used to it now, and learn about the joy, fullness and glory of worship and step into what we have been created to do. This is our purpose. In all things that we would worship. In all things we would function as priests before God unto the glory and testimony of Jesus.
College students, Young people: In these years of discovery and searching, look to Jesus! Look to God and His Word, and find what is true and what will satisfy your heart and soul for all of eternity. Settle the questions and step into the fullness of what you have been created for.
fittingintothestory 