Anchored in Christ: Why Your Story Has Great Depth & Purpose

One of the hardest parts of being a Third Culture Kid is answering the question, "Who am I?"

Our lives are often stitched together from multiple cultures, languages, foods, and places we've called "home." On the one hand, it's a gift - we get to carry a richness of experience that few people understand. On the other hand, it can leave us feeling scattered, rootless, and unsure of where we truly belong. It can make us question whether the journey or experiences were worth it or ask who in the world we are supposed to be when we no longer live in that experience and life.

This is why anchoring our identity in Christ is so important. Anchoring our identity in Christ doesn't erase our TCK story and experiences - it actually gives it more depth, stability, and purpose.

When our identity rests on cultural pieces alone, it often feels fragile. A move, a goodbye, or even a conversation where we feel "different" can shake our sense of self. But when Christ is our foundation, we're not defined by the shifting ground of cultures or the instability of constant transition. Instead, we're defined by Him - unchanging, eternal, and deeply personal. We no longer have to feel constantly lost and unsure because we are resting in our identity as a son or daughter of Christ.

Depth

Jesus takes the scattered pieces of our lives - our memories, struggles, friendships come and gone, and places lived in and loved - and weaves them into something with eternal meaning. The foods that remind us of childhood, the languages that slip into our conversations, the countries stamped on our passports - all of these become part of a bigger story when we see them through Him.

We can ask God to give us his eyes for our life and the different circumstances we find ourselves in and we will be amazed to find a greater depth and meaning than we ever could have imagined.

Stability

Life as a TCK can sometimes feel like standing on shaky ground. New schools, new friendships, new cultures - it's like trying to build a house on sand. Scripture has something to say about that in Matthew 7:24-27. "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."

When we take the time to read God's Word and allow what He says about us to sink into our heart, we no longer have to feel like we are on shaky ground. We can rest secure on the foundation Christ has laid for us, knowing that nothing we say or do can change our identity in Christ and shake our stability.

Purpose

Perhaps most beautiful of all, anchoring our identity in Christ gives purpose to our globally shaped lives. Our experiences aren't random - they prepare us for unique ways of serving, loving, and connecting with others. Christ transforms our TCK journey into a platform to reflect His love in ways only we can.

Colossians 3:23-24 says, "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Jesus Christ." When we understand that it is God who gives our lives purpose and it is only living for Him and doing what He has asked us to do that we find true fulfillment, our life and purpose no longer feels so shaky.

Living From This Anchor

When we rest in Christ, we're free. Free to enjoy the cultures we've come from without clinging to them for identity. Free to celebrate our global backgrounds without worrying about being "enough" for any one culture. Free to live out our unique stories with the assurance that who we are is rooted in Him and not in what we do or where we have lived.

Because in the end, it's not our passports, our languages, or our cultures that define us. It's Christ - the one who gives us a stable identity in a world that is constantly shifting.

So no, your TCK story isn't erased when you discover your identity in Christ. It's given greater depth, stronger stability, and eternal purpose. And that's worth more than anything else you could ever hold on to.