{"id":2261,"date":"2026-06-07T05:00:37","date_gmt":"2026-06-07T10:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/gracefulawakening\/?p=2261"},"modified":"2026-06-06T06:01:35","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T11:01:35","slug":"who-told-you-who-you-are","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/gracefulawakening\/2026\/06\/who-told-you-who-you-are\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Told You Who You Are?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"Woman
Who Told You Who You Are\/ Created with ChatGPT and Canva<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

That question, \u2018Who told you who you are?\u201d is one you should ask yourself, especially when you are trying to figure out who you are. When you are feeling lost or striving for more; more happiness, more fulfilment or more feeling alive, you are searching for your purpose and how to live it. That is when you seek out your true identity, your God-given identity. <\/span>Ephesians 2:10<\/span><\/a> reminds us,\u00a0 \u201c<\/span>For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.<\/span><\/i>\u201d (usccb.org)<\/span><\/p>\n

Remember that the most important question is not \u201cWho am I?\u201d but \u201cWhose am I?\u201d When you begin there, identity becomes much clearer. You are a beloved child of God, created intentionally, gifted uniquely, and called purposefully. Everything else flows from that foundation. You don\u2019t need to earn an identity that God has already given you.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Voices That Shape Us<\/i><\/b><\/h2>\n

We allow many voices to shape us. Things we are told as children or names we were called. As a child, both my inquisitiveness and my communication was stifled. I was called \u201cnosey\u201d for asking questions or wanting to hear what was going on. In elementary school, tape was put on my mouth because I was told I talked too much. I was told that children were to be seen and not heard. These childhood labels did cause damage that needed to be healed and overcome.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then there are also the expectations from culture, family, work and relationships. We are often told who to be as well as how to be. Our culture provides expectations for measuring our worth. The same goes for family, work and relationships. We are often not appreciated for who we are. Instead, we are molded to be who we are told to be. This causes pressure to prove your worth. The important question to ask yourself is,\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWho told you who you are?\u201d <\/span><\/i>Many women do live from identities assigned to them instead of <\/span>identities given by God.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

The World Gives Labels; God Gives Identity<\/i><\/b><\/h2>\n

Labels tell us what is too much, not enough, broken, invisible, successful and failed in us. The focus is always what is wrong or what needs to be improved even when it may appear to have a positive spin. Identity built on performance is unstable. Performance can fluctuate based on many unknowns and circumstances. But God never created us to earn worth. Reflect on <\/span>Psalm 139:14,<\/span><\/a> \u201c<\/span>I praise you, because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are your works! My very self you know.<\/span><\/i>\u201d (usccb.org)<\/span><\/p>\n

This tells us that God\u2019s identity for us is rooted in creation and love. That is to say that <\/span>God made us as good<\/span><\/a>, as loveable and uniquely with gifts and talents that are for a purpose. This, in itself, gives us value.\u00a0 <\/span>Galatians 2:20<\/span><\/a> confirms this, \u201c<\/span>yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me; insofar as I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me<\/span><\/i>.\u201d (usccb.org) Embrace this God-given identity.<\/span><\/p>\n

False Identity Creates Misalignment<\/i><\/b><\/h2>\n

When you live in a false identity, it affects relationships, career, confidence, faith and purpose.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n