Identity and Calling: Resting in What God Has Already Revealed

You Don’t Have to Find Your Identity. It’s Already Been Given

I ran into an old acquaintance recently. One of those surprise, “Oh my goodness, it’s been forever!” moments. We did the usual catching up, and somewhere in the conversation, she mentioned she might be teaching a class at her church on identity and calling.

Her premise was that discovering our identity is often best done in community; that sometimes others can see gifts in us that we can’t see in ourselves. I nodded along, because I know that language all too well. I used to live in it.

And then, almost like muscle memory, my mind went back twenty-some years… to the season when the “purpose” craze hit the church like a tidal wave.

When the World Went Purpose-Driven™

If you were around the church scene in the early 2000s, you probably remember. The Purpose Driven Life was everywhere. Rick Warren’s book was sitting on every church bookshelf, featured in every small group, and probably printed on a T-shirt somewhere.

The idea seemed good at first glance: God has a purpose for your life. Who doesn’t want to know that? But the way it played out in church culture was… well… something else.

Suddenly, everyone was on an identity treasure hunt.

• “What’s my purpose?”
• “What’s my calling?”
• “Am I a teacher, a leader, a singer, a behind-the-scenes gal?”
• “Should I take this spiritual gift test for the fourth time just to be sure?”

It became the Christian equivalent of a mid-life crisis… except it hit people at 19.

Meanwhile, I was over here trying to figure out if my “purpose” was leading worship, writing devotionals, or maybe running the church bake sale. (Spoiler: it was none of those.)

A Story I’ll Never Forget

Back in my young adult group, there was a girl who struggled so deeply with this. Every week she’d ask for prayer because she was frustrated with not knowing her “purpose.” She just wanted to know what God wanted her to do.

I didn’t have a lot of wisdom back then, so I’d ask things like, “Well, what do you like to do?” and pray for the Lord to “reveal her purpose.” It felt spiritual at the time.

But if I could go back and talk to her now, I’d tell her something different. Something far simpler and far more freeing:

👉 “Sister, the Bible already tells you your purpose.”

Jesus didn’t leave us wandering around waiting for a divine email with our individualized life assignment. He told us plainly:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
— Matthew 28:19–20

That’s it. That’s the Big One. That’s the calling for every believer.
The details of how we walk it out may look different, but the mission is the same.

Identity Isn’t Something We Find. It’s Something We Receive

This is where modern church culture often gets it backward. The world says: “Look inside yourself to find who you are.”

But Scripture says: “Look to Christ.”

• “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” — Colossians 3:3
• “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” — Galatians 2:20
• “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.” — Ephesians 1:4

Our identity isn’t something waiting to be unearthed through a personality quiz or group brainstorming session. It’s anchored in a Person — Jesus Christ.

When we were saved, God didn’t just give us a ticket to heaven. He gave us a new identity: chosen, adopted, redeemed, and sealed (Ephesians 1:3–14).

Gifts and Callings Are Real But They’re Not the Core

Please hear me clearly: spiritual gifts are real. God absolutely equips His people in unique ways to serve the Body (1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, Ephesians 4). And yes, community can help affirm those gifts.

But those gifts aren’t who you are.
They’re how you serve.

My identity isn’t “HR Director,” “writer,” or “teacher.” Those are assignments. My identity is in Christ. And because of that, no title or platform determines my worth or place in the Kingdom.

The Pressure to “Find Your Thing”

Why do so many of us get tangled up here?

• Because we want to belong.
• Because we think everyone else already has it figured out.
• Because we confuse visibility with value.

But the call of Jesus isn’t “figure it all out.”
It’s “Follow Me.” (Matthew 4:19)

When our eyes are on calling, we strive.
When our eyes are on Christ, we rest.

Resting in the Purpose Already Given

Imagine how many weary Christians could breathe a little easier if they realized they don’t have to decode a secret mission.

The purpose is clear. The identity is settled.
We’re called to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30).
We’re called to make disciples.
We’re called to walk faithfully.

Everything else? That’s just context and stewardship.

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” — John 15:4

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A Gentle Word About Christian Fads

I’m not here to bash Rick Warren personally. But his Purpose Driven movement shaped a lot of modern evangelical culture and not all of it was healthy. Over time, his theology has taken concerning turns, and much of the movement elevated self-discovery over Christ-dependency.

It’s a good reminder: just because something was popular in the church doesn’t mean it was biblically sound. Christian fads are still fads.

Friend, You’re Free

If you’ve spent years trying to figure out your “purpose,” can I offer a breath of fresh air?

You don’t have to.

You don’t have to wait for a lightning bolt moment.
You don’t have to craft a personal mission statement.
You don’t have to envy someone else’s “calling.”

You already have a purpose.
To love God. To make Him known. To abide and walk faithfully with Him every day.

And as you walk, He’ll handle the details.

“The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way.” — Psalm 37:23

What would shift in your heart if you stopped chasing your purpose… and started resting in the One who’s already given it to you?

We don’t have to chase purpose when we’re held by a Person.
And that Person, Jesus, is more than enough.

Alternatives to Purpose Driven Life