One of the struggles I faced most of my life is lack of identity. It recently darned on me that I am not the only who has this type of struggle. My reason was that I never knew who my father was. This left a void within me of always wondering if I met him, or if I have relatives somewhere. For others, lack of identity could be that they were taken from their homes, and led into captivity. The more I look at life, I now understand that it is impossible to achieve goals, purpose, and live a healthy happy life with lack of identity. In fact, I believe it is impossible to be wholesome without it. When you are on a narrow path, your identity will remind you the reasons why you are do what you do.
Who Are You?
If Someone asks you who you are what would you tell them? I wrote briefly about this topic here. Most would start with the obvious. Characteristics like, I am a mother, a daughter, or a son, and a father. While others will say what they do for a living such as I am an engineer, a doctor, etc…However, those who dare to dig deeper, will talk about their values such as honor, integrity, compassion, and humility among others. Additionally, some will want to get an A on the question so faith, and religion will come up. This question cannot have one singular answer. We are complex human beings. Moreover, this journey of self-discovery is a lonely one. It is a journey that evolves over time. We are spirit beings with a body and a soul (personality) that is why the answer to this question tends to be a hard one to answer see this link that explains it so well.
In the social jungle of human existence, there is no feeling of being alive without a sense of identity.
Erik Erikson
My Journey
The only way that I can talk about this topic is to share my journey. I am not expert in answering difficult questions about life. However as someone who gone through some hard life things, I can share what I experienced and you too can share your journey in hopes to learn, relate, and just exist. The moment that I thought that I had finally arrived, was the moment, I realized that I was not quiet there just yet. Initially I wanted to write about my thriving story. My journey of surviving severe trauma and being able to live on the other side of it. However, I quickly realized that somethings were complete lies. In fact the core of who I was and the values I held dear were complete lies. Yes, faith bases that I held dear for over 24 years. You can imagine my shock and utter turmoil when I realized that everything I built on was false. This is when my I went on a journey of finding who I am.
Impacts of Lack of Identity
The best illustration I can give you is of a house. When building a house, it is known that you must build the house on a strong foundation. Houses not built on strong foundations are easily swayed and do not stand strong. In fact anything that comes against the house can sway it in any direction leading to its destruction. I found that there are other attributes to lack of identity such as trauma, not knowing one’s origin, and deception. For so long I was so lost. I did not know who I was for so long even while I was a christian. For a long time, I felt like I was camouflaged. I tried so hard to fit in and to be who I thought people wanted me to be. This way of living eventually leads to an identity crisis. Additionally people who lack identity tend to experience more emotional abuse as they become targets of abusers. People see these weaknesses and exploits them. Once you know who you are, you are grounded and not easily swayed.
Spirituality Is The Foundation
Remember how I mentioned that you are a spirit first, then you have a soul which is your personality, and everything is housed in a body? My point I am making here is that you cannot truly have identity if your spirit is malnourished, sick, and or ignored. If all you are first and foremost is a spirit, it makes sense to understand it, where it came from, and how to truly connect with it. I have found that everyone at one degree or another is trying to connect with the spiritual side, but sometimes we are led astray into practices that are not good for us. Some of those practices include witchcraft, new age teaching, making our own doctrines and principles all in the name of spirituality. Like I said, I am only going to talk about and share my spirituality journey and what I believe to be true. Knowing what I know now, I truly believe that in my spiritual walk a lot people are called, but few are chosen. I am not here to convince you to join my spirituality, but rather I am here to wake the chosen up. This is NOT for everyone.
Do Other Spiritual Beings Exist?
In order to reconcile with my spiritual side, I had to learn and understand that there are spiritual beings. One of those being is The Creator Himself. Of course I want to reference the Bible, but I am wondering if Science has proved whether one designer of all actually exists. Watch this scientific proof of Sonini Nanini’s Existence. If The Creator exists, where is He? Why can we not see Him? One of the easiest way I can help you understand of existence of other dimensions, is the discoveries of CERN. The European Organization for Nuclear Research believes that there are other dimensions and they have found a way to get to the other side. The call it dark energy or dark matter on the other side of our dimension. Could what they describe be the spiritual realm? A realm where those without a body live? This Bible account gives us an insight of the spiritual realm.
11 Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was greatly troubled by this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?” 12 And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” 13 So he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him.” And it was told him, saying, “Surely he is in Dothan.” 14 Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. 15 And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
2 Kings 6:11-17
Where is God? Is He a Spirit?
If you look at creation, you can see His Presence and Signature all over it. I believe that Sonini Nanini is everywhere, in everything, at the same time. He created in His image, meaning with a Spirit, a Soul, and a Body. I believe since we are like Him in that sense, He is like us in that sense also. In my post: Who is The Most High and What Does He Look Like, I talk about proof of the fact that He is a spirit, with personality, and has a body. As master mind of all creation, I do believe that He is everywhere, at any given time. He is outside of time, and see everything in the past, present, and future. He knows everything, and He is everything.
139 O Lord, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. 3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,
Psalm 139
And are acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. 5 You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it. 7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me;
12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You. 13 For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. 17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You. 19 Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God! Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.
20 For they speak against You wickedly; Your enemies take Your name in vain.
21 Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? 22 I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; 24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
Soul/Wellness/Personality
Wellness has a lot to do with caring for the soul. I used to be confused when people said things like mental wellness, personality disorders, PTSD, Trauma, etc…Now I understand that there is a part of us that is not physical, that can get sick. So, what is that part of us if it is not the body? It is the soul! The soul is basically the mediator between the spirit and the body. The communication of the spirit and the body cannot happen without the soul. The soul will take information from body through our senses of hearing, seeing, feeling, tasting, and smelling. The soul is compromised of Mind, Will, and Emotions. I referenced to this video for information after watching countless others, this is the best one yet. What happens when the soul is broken? The brokenness happens when we experience mental illnesses that affects the mind. Other times we suffer trauma that affect our emotions. Lack of our identities can lead us to use our will in making wrong decision and allegiances. I believe that without a soul, the entire being is broken and dead. This is why I feel this verse is relevant:
For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Matthew 16:26
Can The Soul Feel Pain?
As I am writing this post, I am literally asking this question. If the body goes back to the ground after death, and the spirit goes back to Sonini Nanini who gives it, where does the soul go? Does it go with the spirit if someone is going to heaven? Does it go to hell if someone disobeyed Sonini Nanini? If so, can the soul feel pain? The theory I can come up with here is that, it can since it gathers its information aka data from the senses in order to transmit that data to the spirit. Suffering pain from mental illnesses, personality disorders, and trauma which do not affect the physiology of the body, proves that the soul is the one suffering. However, is there any evidence in the Bible or anywhere else that proves that the soul can feel pain without the spirit and the body? In the verse below if the spirit goes back to Sonini Nanini, and the body back to the ground according to Ecclesiastes 12:7, the soul goes somewhere else. The two men died, their bodies buried, yet they went to two different places.
22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ 27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’
Luke 16:22-28
The Body/Health/Out Presentation
As I am writing this section this scene of Mr. Bean attending an art class comes to mind…THE BODY!! The body is simply the outer shell of who we are. It houses everything we need to exist and to have life. In order to exist on the this space, and time, we need a body. Basically, the body grounds in this physical real, on this earth. Sonini Nanini created everything we know in this real to sustain life. Why did He do it? Create the Earth, I mean? Look around. Everything we see has design from our cells, to our DNA, to plants, to weather, and the cycles of life. If you really pay attention, you will see the glory of Sonini Nanini’s hand in all of. As for Biblical explanation, we told that there is a creator created all that we see and know including us.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
Genesis 1;1-2
The Body As It Relates to Identity
When you meet someone, you quickly make a distinction about them as it relates to their origin or background. The way we look, speak, and conduct ourselves reveals so much about our identity. Our body is the first clue into who we are. It will answer some preliminary questions that lead us to dig a little deeper. For instance, I wrote a post called Who is The Most High, and Who are His People? In this post, we can look at someone and be able to somewhat identify who they are and Whose they are. Our DNA alone is so powerful and thanks to current technologies, we can pinpoint which geographical origin, history, customs which helps with identity. Our body allows us to do good or to do evil. The body is the last defense in doing good or evil. This is why it is important to take care of your body so that it feeds your soul which in turn feeds your spirit. Also, you must take care of your spirit, which feeds your soul, and nourishes the body. Everything works together.
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
