THE ROOT CAUSE: LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF WHO WE ARE
“My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge” (Prophet Hosea).
The primary cause of your heartbreak is the lack of knowledge of your true identity. There is no better reason than this and I can bet you any amount of money on this one. You are not heartbroken because you have been rejected, abused, betrayed or taken advantage of. No! Rejection, abuse and betrayal are “on the surface” causes of your heartbreak but the root cause of the pain you have right now is the lack of knowledge of who you are and why you are here on earth. That is why God spoke through the Prophet Hosea that my people perish because of lack of knowledge.{1} You might say that you know who you are but let me tell you one thing, self-discovery which is not founded on the word of God only brings one to a state of absolute despair, hurt, pain, sorrow, anguish and disappointment. Self-discovery goes beyond describing your personality traits and elucidating them but also involves an in-depth understanding of your sole purpose on this earth as well as your rights and privileges you ought to enjoy whilst you are on this earth- which is the most important thing.
God is the author and creator of life and all that is in it. Like any inventor or manufacturer, God has a manual for our life which shows us who we are and how we ought to function on this earth. This manual is His word. God’s word is replete of astounding truths which show us who we are and the reason why we are here on this earth and these truths are the true definitions of who we are. Once we define our lives basing on these fundamental truths we will never find ourselves drowning in heart-breaking experiences and should we find ourselves in pain, healing will be right at our free disposal to partake. I can attest with no doubt that those people who have defined their lives on the basis of God’s truths have known no lasting heartbreak in their lives. When faced with rather adverse and heart-breaking situations they rejoice because they know what it means. Instead of pity partying and wallowing in pain they get ready to testify and get geared up to sing “He has done it once again” because they know God wants to show off in their lives.
Great men of God like St Paul and St James wrote countless times that despite the adverse circumstances they went through, they rejoiced because they knew that their trials and tribulations were meant to show forth the glory of God. No wonder why Apostle Paul advised us to be joyful when we face trials and tribulations.{2} The man had come to the full knowledge of who we are and why we are here on earth. He had come to that understanding that every situation in life no matter how heart breaking it might be, it is designed by God to make us better and stronger. He had fathomed that no matter how painful the experience might be, there is a very good reason why it has happened and that reason is to show forth the power of God in our lives and in the lives of others through us.{3}
The reason why you are hurting is because you defined yourself not according to your Creator’s manual which is the word of God but you have allowed the worldly standards and systems to define you and this has led you to have a misinformed definition of your true-self. In other words, you don’t know who you are and why you are here on earth. As sure as the Lord lives, if you knew who you are and your purpose on this earth, nothing and no one in this world would make you feel the pain or hurt you are feeling right now. Let me tell you an ‘ugly’ truth, if you don’t consent God through His word to define you, as sure as the sun rises from the east someone or something else will define you and once that definition is not based on the word of God there is only result for you- a heartbreak!
Your level of education, beauty and talent are not able to define you. Yes, they might be able to give you a hint of who you are and your purpose on the earth but still they only give you a glimpse of the bigger picture. Your family background and the environment you live in cannot be able to define you also, they can only give you a shadowy idea of yourself. The only thing that can show you your true identity and purpose on earth is the word of God. All other things are mere pointers to the truth, but the truth is embedded in God’s word.
God’s word is clear about who we are and why we are here on earth. The word of God tells us with clarity that we are kings and priests.{4} This means that we are born to rule and reign. The moment God placed you on this earth He gave you power to exercise dominion over every circumstance in life and be victorious always. Jesus walked on this earth as a human being and Oh Boy the man had no sense of need and defeat. He subdued every challenge that came His way to the extent of conquering death itself! But listen to what He said before He was taken up to heaven, He said that we can do more than He did if we believe in Him and in God who sent Him{5}. My friend, you a victor and defeat has no power over you.
The word is evident that we were created for God’s glory and we are precious and honoured in God’s sight. This entails that you are special and no one on this earth and nothing in Hell or Heaven has the mandate to look down upon you or treat you like you are a piece of trash. God spoke through the prophet Isaiah and said, “Since you are precious and honoured in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange of you, nations in exchange of your life” (Isaiah 43:4). This means rejection, is not part and parcel of your mandate on earth. You were put here on earth to be loved, cared for and to be cherished.
However, lack of knowledge of these truths and failure to apply them in our lives is the root cause why we allow people to reject us, betray us, abuse us and take advantage of us, consciously or unconsciously, leading us to be heartbroken in the end. You have to think and act like a king to be treated like one. You have to think and talk like someone special to be treated like that. Simple. The truths found in God’s word add value to your personality and once you absorb them and act upon them everything in your life and around you will definitely respond to what the word says about you.
You might say that Rolland I know all of that, I know who I am, and I know why I am here on earth according to what the word of God says, but knowing it is not enough still. Applying it and living it is the key. James 1:23-24 says, “anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in the mirror and, after looking at himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” You have to act upon the word. As I will expound in the next chapters, you should let your whole being come to terms with your true identity in God and start to live and think like what the word of God says about you. Once you start to apply the word of God in your life I can tell you with no doubt that rejection, abuse or betrayal by fellow human beings will not usher you into self-loathing, acrimony, sorrow and despair. Once you start to live your life in sync with your true identity in Jesus Christ, the world around you will start to respond to this identity and rejection, abuse, betrayal and heartaches will be nothing but history!