Every human being has an innate call to be truly known as significant and loved by others. God has created and set this longing within us to be known for who we are. Knowing you is to know that your identity is in Jesus Christ because you were created in God's image. An individual's lack of this knowledge can result in a socio psychological identity crisis and role confusion as characterized by social psychologist Erik Erikson. To know your identity is to know whose you are and how you came to be you. Therefore, much of our emotional pain, turmoil, and dysfunctions in our personal lives are predicated on not knowing our true identity. Essentially, we make an effort to behave according to our self-concept and self-esteem, which are based on the versions of reactions we have received from others. Consequently, self-esteem points toward the distinction between one's perceived self-concept and with one's ideal self.
Our sense of worth is initially tremendously impacted during our early years because we develop a vision of ourselves through the expressions we received by the significant people during those early years. Loving affirmations promote good self-identity, and being rejected can be the basis for a negative self-image later in life. Due to such unprocessed emotionally trauma from our early years, many of us experience deficits in core longings. Also, these unprocessed emotional wounds impact our relationships with God, self, and others. Consequently, we need the aid of a structure that promotes the truth of God esteem and to position us for emotional healing that positively impact our identity in Christ. This book presents elements of a spiritual formational approach, which incorporates the knowledge of core longings, self-fulfilling behaviors, and emotional wounds into a personal healing structure that impacts our Christian identity.
