A Child’s Identity and Self-Confidence

Hosea 4:6

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children."

A lack of knowledge can be very destructive. And the lack of identity has destroyed many and is still destroying many.

Research has it that when children know their identity, it leads to greater happiness, joy, good character formation, and focus. It brings inner peace, reduces inner conflict, builds their self-esteem, and gives them the confidence to say "No” to anything that will drift them away from their core identity.

They build their lives around these (6) six key elements of self-awareness found in the acronym V.I.T.A.L.S:

Values: Research also shows that just thinking or writing about your values can make it more likely that you take healthy actions. So when one understands their identity it helps them live by set values. Values determine what decisions people make, and how motivated they are. It also determines what goals they set and how they achieve them in life. Living one’s life by set values makes one mentally healthy as one feels more alive and experience life richly while navigating the challenges of life.

Interests: When people understand their identity, it determines their passions and hobbies. It is easier for them to figure out what interests them more. They begin to consider the following: What do they pay attention to more? What problem do they want to solve while alive? What are they curious about? What concerns them more? Understanding their identity can be a driving force to fulfilling life's purpose as it eliminates the life confusion that many go through.

Temperament: Do you know that understanding your Identity can help you become self-controlled, and focused, and also helps you develop a resilient spirit? These are the great qualities of a great leader.

Activated: Understanding your identity keeps you activated and focused on the search for who you are and what you are created for, as you begin to discover yourself daily. You enjoy being yourself instead of wasting energy trying to be someone else.

Therefore, living a more meaningful life: Oh, how our identity keeps us living life more meaningfully. It triggers questions like: “Why am I created?, How do I achieve the purpose of why I am created? What would I be remembered for after I am gone?” Many have discovered clues to their hidden identity, and their career, and have lived a life of satisfaction because of these questions. Understanding your Identity will keep you asking these and even more as you become who God has made you to be.

Strengths: Understanding your Identity has the capability to build great strength in you. “Strengths" here can be abilities, skills, and talents, and also character like loyalty, respect for others, love for learning, fairness, firmness, and more.

As we parent our children, it is important to help them ground themselves in who they are, especially in CHRIST, because this will determine the adult they will become.

Research has recently shown that praising children has increasingly given rise to narcissism in human beings, making them very manipulative, always seeking admiration while hurting others without empathy, and yelling to correct a child shuts them down. But when you engage in correcting a child, it is best to trigger conversations on their identity by asking leading questions like “would an ambassador do that”, it sets them thinking and makes them self-evaluate themselves as they apply the correction.

This is why I have designed the “My Identity Devotional”, and if you cannot get the Devotional, you can buy our E-book lessons on “My Identity” and my Identity Alphabets for even younger children aged 2-5 for you and your child to study as you drill down into their core being who they are in Christ. I pray this blesses your household.

Click on the links to place a copy.

https://a.co/d/4Xu5Uw8

https://selar.co/m/NeneOlu