What we can learn from Caitlyn Jenner and Rachel Dolezal

I'm not much for predictions, but it's my humble opinion that in the week leading up to New Year's Eve 2015, two of the top 10 stories from 2015 will be that of Caitlyn Jenner and Rachel Dolezal.  I believe their stories are so compelling because all of us can identify with them.

Rachel Dolezal is arguing that because she wants to "survive" it's her choice to identify with whatever race she wants to be.  When she became black, then she could be herself.  Caitlyn Jenner and other advocates for transgender lifestyle argue that it's their choice to be who they truly were supposed to be all along.  When they became transgender, then they could be themselves.

What they are doing is not being themselves.  What they are doing is called self-medication.  Changing skin color or changing out body parts are just two extreme ways of doing what we all are guilty of doing at times.  What's your form of self-medication?  Do you eat more or do you starve yourself?  Do you work a lot or workout a lot?  Do you drink a lot or have sex a lot?  All of us have some form of self-medication where we try to feel better about who we are.

You see, we can identify with Caitlyn and Rachel because like them, we realize there is something wrong with us.  So we try to "change" it, which is one of the definitions of the prefix "trans."  Becoming transgender or transracial won't bring about the change we want.  Only transformation does.  I have a hunch that when all the media coverage dies down that both Caitlyn and Rachel will once again experience that gnawing feeling that something needs to change.

The only place to find lasting transformation is God.  Psalm 23:3 puts it this way, "He (God) refreshes my soul.  He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake."  Lasting change in how we feel about ourselves begins with God.  Lasting change in experiencing the full joy of life begins with God.  It's a soul issue, not a race or gender issue.  

The only way that a soul issue is fixed is not through self-medication or self-religion, it's through Jesus.  Jesus took everything that needs to change about us, i.e. our sin and guilt, to the cross.  He paid the price with His life to remove the penalty for our sins.  That means that each day we have a fresh start, new hope and real power to change.  No amount of transgender or transracial dialogue can do what transformation in Jesus can do.  Are you tired of self-medicating your life with the same result?  Try Jesus.

If you know of someone who is struggling with their identity.  Don't mock them, like some Christians (Matt Walsh) have done with Caitlyn Jenner.  That's not being like Jesus.  Pray for them.  Reach out to them.  Speak the truth in love to them.  Give them the only One who will bring about the change they want and, for the sake of their eternal destiny, need.