Finding Your Identity in Christ

Updated: Feb 25

By Gabriella Burns

Many teens these days struggle to fit in and find out “who they are.” But looking

past a worldly perspective and focusing on the Bible, how can Christian teens discover

their purpose in Christ?

That’s what I would like to discuss in this article.

Let’s start with taking a look at a non-Christian perspective of identity.

In Psychology in Everyday Life (6 th ed.), Myers & Dewall say:

The adolescent’s task is to blend past, present, and future possibilities into a

clearer sense of self. Adolescents wonder, “Who am I as an individual? What do I

want to do with my life? What values should I live by? What do I believe in?”

Such questions, said Erikson, are part of the adolescent’s search for identity.

(Myers & Dewall, 2023, p. 87)

While I believe that it’s very important for teens to search for answers to these

questions, it is also vital that they do not become too self-focused or overthink the

question of identity. In Romans, Paul writes:

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we

are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed

we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (NIV

Thinline Bible, 2011, Romans 8:16-17)

Those verses provide a great description of who we are in Jesus Christ. As we live in

the world, many people will be focused on “discovering themselves,” but as Christians,

we know who are in the Lord. Followers of Jesus have diverse gifts (NIV Thinline Bible,

2011, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11), and we should 100% build up those gifts in order to bring

glory to God. However, “finding our identity” is not a difficult process for believers—we

must look to Jesus for our identity rather than to the world. Let’s end with Colossians

2:9-10, which says, “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in

Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and

authority” (NIV Thinline Bible, 2011, Colossians 2:9-10).

NIV Thinline Bible. (2011). Zondervan.

Myers, D. G., & Dewall, C. N. (2023). Psychology in Everyday Life (6 th ed.). Worth

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