The Ultimate Identity Crisis

In this world, your identity is based on who you are, who you know well, how much money you earn, where did you go, your education and your occupation.  So if a person has been unemployed chronically, there is high risk of going through an ultimate identity crisis.  Identity crisis is a psychological crisis.

For Aspies, self image is largely dependent on their job, what do they do for a living, the money they earn and currently had which means that if they are unemployed for a long period of time, their whole life has been collapsed.  However, "God is far more interested in what you are than what you do.  Remember, you will take your character (fruit of of the Holy Spirit) into eternity, but not your career." (The Purpose Driven Life)

It is natural for the church to assume during unemployment they have lots of free time and therefore can help to coach the children on English to serve the church and community.  But in fact, this is a wrong assumption because with them going through identity crisis and depression, all energy for life has been drained, even a very small load on the Aspie, they do not feel motivated to do, although the load is light but it is like a straw that breaks the camel’s back.

Joshua Gordon Lee wrote in his book, during the worst time of his life he frequently drives an hour to the desert to move by hand big and heavy rocks from one place to another because moving rocks give him the feeling of sturdy, in control and solid that badly needs in the time of difficulties.  Because of their limited interest on most aspects of life, God has always used the career downtimes as a way to push them to expand oneself.

Reading “Seven Days of Faith” which details out how Christian can achieve spiritual growth through daily activities.  God want to mode us into the way He want it through our traumatic experience, daily activities.  In fact, we grow more in our traumatic experience than having an easy and happy life.
A better way to restore our identity during crisis is to express love.  God values and keep records of our good work to express love and this goes to eternity.  Simple things like decorating the church or our home such that others can feel more comfortable and can enjoy their lives better are loving others and serving God.  Our identity should be our effort in loving God and others and our thoughts.  Identity for a Christian is what and how to love.

Just like Moses and Joseph went through a lot of traumatic experience such that they both developed godly character of humble and meek in order to become a great leader without being arrogant.  The plan of God for their life is to become a leader the way God want them to be.  True spiritual maturity is measured by faith developed through true intimacy with God.  Enoch has not done much in serving the Lord in his life besides raising his own family but he walked closely with God for 300 hundred years.
You are the one who is to choose the meaning of career.  Career for me as it turns out to be opportunity to grow and refine my strategy to handle adversity.

The Purpose Driven Life:
"If you're going to be a servant, you must settle your identity in Christ.  Only secure people can serve.  Insecure people are always worrying about how they appear to others.  They fear exposue of their weaknesses and hide beneath layers of  protective pride and pretensions.  The more insecure you are, the more you will want people to serve you, and the more you will need their approval.

Henri Nouwen said, "In order to be of service to others we have to die to them; that is, we have to give up measuring our meaning and value with the yardstick of others.... thus we become free to be compassionate."  When you base your worth and identity on your relationship to Christ, you are freed from the expectations of others, and that allows you to really serve them best."