Biblical Answer

Finding Purpose and Meaning in Life after Losing Your Identity as a Business Owner

As a Christian, you may have experienced a significant shift in your life after losing your identity as a business owner. This change can be both exhilarating and terrifying, leaving you wondering if you still have a purpose and meaning in life. The concept of identity is complex, and it's easy to get caught up in the idea that our purpose is tied to our profession or career. However, as the provided text suggests, our identity is not solely defined by our occupation. In fact, our true identity is rooted in our relationship with God and our commitment to Him.

According to Paul Ricceur, our identity is an "ipse identity," which consists of our commitments, roles, or activities that we hold onto over time. As a Christian, our commitment to God is a fundamental aspect of our identity. Even if we've lost our identity as a business owner, we can still find purpose and meaning in life by holding onto our commitment to God. This means continuing to prioritize our relationship with Him, engaging in daily prayer and reading His Word, and living out our faith in a way that reflects our values and beliefs.

In this sense, we don't need to change our life purpose, but we may need to update our life plan. Just as a map may need to be revised when a road is closed or a bridge collapses, we may need to adjust our plans when circumstances change. However, our core commitments and values remain the same. As a Christian, our purpose and meaning in life are rooted in our relationship with God, and we can continue to find fulfillment and purpose even in the midst of change. By holding onto our commitment to God and living out our faith, we can discover a new sense of purpose and meaning in life, one that is not tied to our occupation or profession, but rather to our relationship with the Lord. I would say that every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your decisions, all the paths you take, you will find that you are like a running stream. It's made up of drops of water, and those drops are constantly changing, but the stream as a whole remains the same. It's the same stream, but it's made up of different drops of water. And it's like that with you. You are the same person, but you are made up of different choices, different decisions, and different paths. You are constantly evolving, but you are still the same person. And that's what I mean by the ipse identity. It's the constancy over time that consists in me holding myself to certain commitments, roles, or activities. I am who I am because I make promises to myself and to others, and I hold onto those promises. And that's what gives me my identity. I am not just a collection of experiences, but I am a person who is committed to certain things. And that's what makes me who I am.