Moses, Korean-Americans and Identity Crisis

Moses was born a Hebrew but raised an Egyptian.

Born a slave but raised as a noble (the grandson to none other than Pharoah).

He was a Hebrew-Egyptian.

Talk about double identity and an identity crisis.

It was quite tempting for Moses to forsake his Hebrew heritage and pretend to be an Egyptian.

But Moses chose not to.

Because he knew who he was and who God created him to be.

Scripture tells us, “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharoah’s daughter.” (Heb 11:24)

From a shortsighted and finite human vantage point, this looks like the dumbest decision in the world.

Life as Pharoah’s grandson was something everyone coveted in his day. He had access to the best schools, teachers, education, food, clothes, horses/chariots, women and power. Everything he wanted would be his. He could exercise dominion and influence like no other human being on the planet.

But he would be assuming a false identity. An identity contrary to the will of God. And Moses couldn’t have that.

He decides to remain true to his God-given identity.

A Hebrew.

And guess what? Because of his faithfulness to his God-given identity — he now has access to heaven and the very throne of God.

At times, it’s very tempting for the average Korean-American to forsake their God-given identity (as a Korean) in pursuit of what seems to be more alluring.

It’s seems far more advantageous and promising to give up their Korean identity and assume an “American identity”.

Korean heritage often seems to have negative connotations and you don’t want any of that — except for maybe like the food, entertaining dramas and Kpop every once in awhile.

Your parents were always so hardheaded, stubborn and old-skool. All the Korean FOBs you’ve met seem so . . . well, like FOBs. Always wanting respect just because they’re older and speak Konglish that you don’t even understand. You’ve always been kind of embarrassed by them and tried to avoid them at all costs. (They were like the Hebrews slaves that Moses could’ve been embarrassed by.)

But you know what though. God created you to be first and foremost, a Korean. That’s who you are. No matter how much you tried to hide it, suppress it or run away from it — that’s where your identity begins.

And it’s your God-given privilege and responsibility to find out what that really means. What it means to be a Korean-American. What God’s mission and purpose for your life might be in the context of your identity as a Korean-American.

If you’ve never given this a serious thought and are coasting through your existence here in US (living from one weekend to another . . . and one instagram-mable vacation to another) — you’ll never quite come to a full realization or actualization of who you were called to be.

Yes, you grew up here. You were educated here. You were given something your parents or any FOB in Korea (or here) have been dreaming about. Why do you think that is? Why were you given a Korean identity and an American upbringing/education?

Perhaps there’s a mission God has in store for you. Perhaps you need to rise to the challenge of fulfilling your God-ordained mission for your life.

You have two choices.

You can either assume a false identity and try hard to live a life you weren’t created to live.

Or you can decide to own up to your true identity and start living a life you were created to live and thus write an immortal testimony that will be shared throughout all eternity.

The choice is yours.