Who Do You Desire to Be When You Grow Up? Becoming the Beloved of God

 

Who Do You Desire to Be When You Grow Up?

Becoming the Beloved of God

"Beloved, now are we the offspring of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. For what we know is that when Christ appears, we will be mirror images of Christ." – 1 John 3:1

   I AM becoming more of the beloved offspring of God than I already am.

   Who do you desire to be when you grow up? Many of us remember being asked that question as children. We may have answered, "I want to be a doctor," "I want to be a nurse," "I want to be a firefighter," "I want to be a teacher," or perhaps even "I want to be the president."

   As children, however, we may not have fully understood the difference between want and desire. We often described a career, a position, or something we admired without understanding the deeper question of who we were becoming.

   There is a difference between what we want and what we deeply desire. In this teaching, want represents what may be driven by external influences, while desire points toward what is awakened within the spirit. Sometimes people project their own expectations onto us. Parents, family members, teachers, friends, and society may see what we are good at and decide what they think we should become.

   A child may feel called to preach, teach, minister, create, serve, or lead, while others may encourage that child to pursue something completely different because they see another ability or talent. Being capable of doing something does not necessarily mean that is what God has called you to do.

   Overcoming the expectations that others place upon us can take time. Sometimes people pursue their true calling only part-time because they have been taught that their calling is not a worthy vocation. Yet when God places a calling within a person, that individual must have the courage to become who God created them to be.

   As consciousness grows, we grow into the truth of who we really are.

   True fulfillment comes through discerning God's purpose, entering into stillness and silence, and asking the deeper questions: "Why did You create me? What is Your purpose for me? Who are You calling me to become?"

The Question Is Not What Do You Want to Do?

   Firstly, the focus is often placed on what we want to do instead of who we desire to be.

   Life can easily become a series of activities, accomplishments, titles, and checkboxes. We ask ourselves what we want to accomplish, what position we want to hold, what career we want to pursue, and what goals we want to achieve.

   But the deeper question is not, "What do I want to do when I grow up?" The deeper question is, "Who do I desire to be?"

   What type of person do you desire to become? What kind of character do you desire to develop? What behaviors do you desire to grow out of? What qualities do you desire to grow into?

   Your being is more important than your doing.

   You can have an impressive title and still lack character. You can accomplish great things and still be internally unfulfilled. You can be extremely productive while moving farther away from the person God is calling you to become.

   Spiritual maturity is about allowing Christ to be formed in you. It is about building yourself up in faith, praying, growing, learning, and becoming more like Christ in character and consciousness.

   Society may ask what you want to become professionally, but God is interested in who you are becoming spiritually.

The Question Is Not Where Do You Want to Go?

   Secondly, the question is not simply where you want to go, but who you desire to be when you get there.

   People can travel from one city to another, move from one organization to another, change careers, enter new relationships, and experience completely different environments. But wherever they go, they take themselves with them.

   If you are not at peace within yourself, changing your location will not automatically create peace. If you lack integrity, a new position will not give you integrity. If you have not learned how to love, a new relationship will not automatically teach you how to love.

   The goal is therefore not simply to arrive somewhere new. The goal is to show up as the person God created you to be.

   When you become more aligned with your God-given identity, what you do can become more fulfilling. Wherever you go, there can be lessons to learn, blessings to recognize, and opportunities to serve.

   It is important to go out into the world, but it is equally important to determine who you are being when you arrive.

   Be authentic. Be genuine. Be a person of integrity. Let your character speak before your credentials speak. Let people experience the love of God through the way you conduct yourself.

   Wherever you go, take God-consciousness with you.

It Is Not Just What You Say; It Is Who You Are

   Thirdly, it is more than what you are saying; it is who you are being.

   Many people spend considerable energy thinking about what they should say. They carefully choose their words, prepare their responses, and think about how others will receive what they communicate.

   Words matter. Scripture teaches us that words carry spiritual significance. But the power and authority behind our words are connected to the person who is speaking them.

   Our way of speaking is preceded by our way of being, seeing, and thinking.

   When words flow from an authentic and transformed being, our communication carries a different quality. We are not merely saying the right words; we are living from the truth behind those words.

   The kingdom is not simply something we talk about. It is something we embody.

   If we speak about love but consistently operate in hatred, our words lose credibility. If we speak about integrity but cannot be trusted, our words lose authority. If we speak about faith but live entirely from fear, our words and our being are out of alignment.

   Who you are gives context and credibility to what you say.

It Is Not Just What You Have; It Is Who You Are

   Fourthly, people often focus heavily on what they desire to have.

   From childhood, society can condition us to measure success by external possessions. We may focus on the house we live in, the car we drive, the clothing we wear, the labels we display, or the jewelry we possess.

   There is nothing inherently wrong with having nice things. The problem comes when what we have becomes more important than who we are.

   Jesus taught about receiving "good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over." Scripture also teaches that a person's gift makes room for them and brings them before great people.

   When you become who God has called you to be, your gifts can create opportunities for influence and service. Increase, abundance, and overflow can become expressions of your purpose rather than substitutes for it.

   The deeper question is therefore not, "What do I want to have?" It is, "Who do I desire to be?"

   I desire to be a good person. I desire to be a person of integrity. I desire to be someone whose word can be trusted. I desire to be someone whose presence brings peace. I desire to be someone through whom God's love can be seen and experienced.

Growing Up in Consciousness

   Growing up is more than becoming older. Physical age happens naturally, but spiritual maturity requires intention.

   As we grow from spiritual infancy toward maturity in Christ, our attention shifts. We become less consumed with what we can get and more concerned with who we are becoming.

   We begin to ask deeper questions. What kind of energy am I bringing into a room? What atmosphere do I create? How do people feel when they are around me? What do people experience from me before I ever say a word?

   These questions reveal something important: who we are is always communicating.

   Our character speaks. Our integrity speaks. Our attitudes speak. Our treatment of people speaks. Our response to adversity speaks. Our ability to love speaks.

   The goal is not merely to become impressive. The goal is to become whole, authentic, spiritually mature, and increasingly aligned with the nature of Christ.

What If You Lose What You Have?

   One of the most revealing questions we can ask ourselves is this: "If I lost everything I currently have, who would I still be?"

   Sometimes people do not get to do what they envisioned they would do. Sometimes careers change. Opportunities disappear. Plans are interrupted. Relationships change. Possessions come and go. The future may not unfold according to the picture we created in our minds.

   But if your identity is rooted in God, external changes cannot erase who you are becoming.

   Your title can change without changing your identity. Your location can change without changing your purpose. Your possessions can change without changing your worth.

   This is why the question of being is so important. What you do can change. Where you go can change. What you have can change. But who you are becoming in Christ can continue to deepen.

Who Do You Desire to Be?

   The ultimate invitation is to ask yourself the deeper question: Who do I desire to be?

   Not simply what do I want to do? Not simply where do I want to go? Not simply what do I want to have?

   Who do I desire to be?

   I desire to be loving.

   I desire to be trustworthy.

   I desire to be a person of integrity.

   I desire to be spiritually mature.

   I desire to be someone whose presence brings peace.

   I desire to be someone through whom God's love is reflected.

   I desire to become increasingly aware of who I am as God's beloved offspring.

   I AM becoming more of the beloved offspring of God than I already am.

Conclusion: Become Before You Do

   1 John 3:1 reminds us that we are already called beloved. Our journey is not about earning God's love through accomplishments. It is about growing into greater awareness of who we already are in relationship with God.

   The world may continue to ask, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" But perhaps the deeper spiritual question is, "Who do you desire to be as you grow up in consciousness?"

   Your life is more than your accomplishments. You are more than your title. You are more than your possessions. You are more than your location, career, relationships, or social status.

   Your being matters.

   As you mature in Christ, let your doing flow from your being. Let your words flow from your character. Let your movement flow from your purpose. Let what you have become a resource for what God has called you to accomplish.

   And if everything external changes, may you still know who you are: God's beloved.

   You may not yet know everything you will become. But you can continue growing, learning, becoming, and allowing Christ to be formed in you.

   Do not spend your entire life trying to become what others want you to be. Become who God created you to be.

📖 Reflection: Who do you desire to be as you grow in Christ, and what qualities of character do you believe God is developing in you right now?

💡 Action Step: Set aside time for stillness and prayer today. Ask God, "Who did You create me to be?" Write down three qualities of character you desire to embody and choose one practical way to express each quality this week.