Guest Writer Adeteju Adeniran Asks- What Defines Me?

I casually joked with a colleague whose name was Kelvin, I asked if his own Kelvin was Kelvin Hart or Kevin Costner. Another colleague pointed out how Kevin Costner had lost most of his hair and was no more the looker he used to be. That statement got me thinking about trends in my space for the past two months.

I went on a training recently and by the time I came back, a building very close be my office had been possessed by court order and eventually the process of demolishing commenced. As of yesterday, the whole building had been demolished. I wondered how things could change in such a short period of time.

As I walked home from work, I observed a complex where I usually shop for cosmetics and I saw that it was being demolished too. I wondered again at how things could change in such a short period of time.

As humans, we need to be able to define where our identity stems from and one big lesson I have learnt, and I am still learning is that your identity must stem from the intangible.

Some of us get our identity from our jobs, the question is what if that job ceases to exist tomorrow, will you also cease to exist? The point is nothing in life is certain. You are not your job or whatever you do to make a living.

For some other group, their identities are gotten from their relationships. This also is dangerous; we all need to be able to look inwards and not derive our identity from our relationships. What if that loved one passes on tomorrow or that friend betrays you? Remember that man at its best is still a man. Also, you shouldn’t forget the dangers of putting your trust on a mere mortal like you.

Beauty and looks for some people are what defines them. Well, if that is it- remember that age will come and no matter how hard you try to defy it, it will take its course. Beauty is fleeting, anything can take it away.

The last, which is the most common is that- people derive their identities from their possessions which in my opinion, leads to a life of struggle and the need to always want to amass and amass. Coming from a religious angle and drawing from the Good Book, remember Jesus once said- “beware of covetousness, the worth of a man is not in the abundance of the things he possesses”. That was why Job’s wife told him to curse God and die. She was indirectly telling him that ‘you have lost everything and that makes you a nobody- there is no longer any reason for your existence’. But Job knew better, he knew that all he had gotten was from God.

After so much pondering on the uncertainty of life, I came to conclusion that my identity should stem from my faith in an unfailing God and the work that Christ wrought on the cross on my behalf. This will develop my values from the intangible and form who I become. My Identity is rooted in the God who causes all things to work together for my good. So, no matter what life brings my way, I am not moved, I know fully well that the things which are seen are subject to change but the things which are not seen are eternal.

What are your thoughts on these, has any occurrence really explained the uncertainty of life to you and how did you scale through?

Written by Guest writer- Adeteju Adeniran

Photo Credit- Adeteju Adeniran

Story Reference from the Good Book- Luke 12:15; Job 2:9-10

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