Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image, in the image of God, he created him; male and female, He created them.

One of the most important things in life is knowing who you are. Discovering who we are is helpful in so many life decisions. In the scripture above, God created man in His image and likeness. As a result, if we want to know who we are, we must go to the one in whose image we were made. We need to know the one who created us in order to get a clearer picture of who we really are and what our purpose is on the earth.

In Jeremiah 29:11, God said; For I know the plans I have for you. Plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. So the question is: What is that future He has mapped out for our lives? To find out, we must go to Him. God will not reveal such secrets to those who are not interested in knowing who they are. We ought to take a step to prove that we are ready to know His plan for our lives. Proverbs 3:5-6 admonishes us to trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding. That we should acknowledge Him in all our ways and He shall direct our path. This means until we acknowledge His place in our lives first, we wouldn’t receive direction. A part of trusting that His plan for us is the best includes acknowledging Him.

Why is self-discovery important? It is key to know that each of us is in a race and so we have a destination to arrive at. When you know who you are, you first of all know where your life is headed. You get to know the destination He has in mind for you and this, in turn, affects key decisions you make. A lot of people are taking certain actions without a purpose in mind. They are prioritizing the things that won’t matter in eternity, also called vanity. Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. A lack of vision or focus on a set agenda would cause us to live just in the moment and not take the future into consideration.

John 6:21 Then they were willing to take Him into the boat and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading. When we are willing to take God along through our journey, we’d get to God’s pre-ordained destination for our lives.

1. When you know where you’re headed in life, it informs the things you do or do not do. You are careful about how you lead your life when you know where God wants to take you. You have an aim and a goal, so your attitudes are directed towards making that goal a reality. However, when you have no idea the future God has for you, everything seems good because everyone else is doing it. You will know you’re unique and must not be like everyone. In Genesis 39, we see that Joseph refused to have sex with Potiphar’s wife because He knew there was a great future ahead- the dream he had in his father’s house- and committing this sin would jeopardize that. The greatness of some people was halted just because of an action they took some time in their past. That could have been Joseph’s story. 

2. You know who you need to get where God wants to take you when you know where you’re headed. As a result, your associations are done with careful thought. You make friends who can draw you closer to God and who will make you better in any area of your life. The wrong associations can divert your attention from the things that really matter and make you prioritize the unimportant. 1 Corinthians 15:33 Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character. In the same vein, the right people around you would catapult you into greatness. You choose your friends, they are not chosen for you like family members. If Samson had a clearer picture of why he was born, He would have avoided Delilah. In addition to friendships, knowing who you are and where God is taking you would inform who you marry, if you decide to do so. Marrying the wrong person can take you out of God’s purpose and hinder you from accessing what you must have. In the garden of Eden, Adam saw Eve and said: This is the bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman for she was taken out of man. How come Adam never said that to any of the animals? He knew who He was and saw himself in Eve. They had something in common. This means you are a reflection of who you marry. 

These are two major classes of things that determine your conclusion or destination in life – The things you do(actions) and The people around you(association).

People may have an image of you but get to know what God says about you and walk in that revelation.

Self-discovery starts with God-discovery.

-The Word in Clarity

There are things you would never know you have in you or can do even after you look at your talents, strengths and what you are passionate about. Only God can show you those.

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