Pastor Larry Sundin
Pastor Larry Sundin
When I was a young man, it seemed that most people my age were on a journey of discovery. You would often hear the common refrain, “I’m on a journey to find myself.” People everywhere were trying to find out who they really were. Some thought they could find themselves by dropping out of society and embracing free love. We identified those dropouts as hippies. At that time the majority of society condemned adultery and looked disapproving on couples who decided to live together. Since then, the sexual revolution has taken a toll on traditional marriage relationships. Now, sex outside of marriage is considered normal, and those who advocate sexual abstinence or faithfulness to one person are looked down on and even condemned by society.
A second route people took to find themselves was by experimenting with drugs. Smoking marijuana became a way to disconnect from the troubles of the day, and soon dropping acid (LSD) became an acceptable highway for opening your mind to discover your true inner self. However, this route of self-discovery had its drawbacks, as many young people continued to experiment with harder drugs or just got lost in a drug-hazed utopia and either burned out, dropped out, or accidentally fried themselves in the pursuit of finding themselves.
Not long after that, a third route came along as people discovered meditation as a means to find oneself. That was followed by the running craze and soon after that, people attempted to find themselves by accumulating as many exciting experiences as possible, hoping that as they traveled to exotic places or ran after the thrills of skydiving, base jumping, mountain climbing, surfing, or mountain biking, that they might somehow find joy or meaning in their lives. And when all those endeavors failed, many just decided to take a second look at the tried-and-true methods of accumulating wealth or achieving success in the hopes that they could find themselves in their work or their possessions.
All this to say is that it’s a pretty common pursuit for us to try and discover our true identity. And it’s sad to say that the last place people look to find themselves is in their relationship with their Creator. And yet, this should be the obvious pursuit. For God’s Word tells us that every person has been made in His image and likeness. Now some are quick to run away from this identity, thinking it is too restrictive. But for those who are willing to seek the truth, pursuing God to find your identity may be the best thing you’ll ever do. So, if you’re willing to seek the truth about who you really are, perhaps it’s time you pursue your Creator and discover what He’s always had in mind for you. And if that’s you, join us at Rock Springs this Sunday as we look into the immeasurable riches of God’s grace to us in Jesus Christ. Come and seek God with us on Sunday mornings at 9 a.m. in the ballroom! We’d love to have you.