Online personality quizzes from sites like Buzzfeed and Zimbio are dominating on social-media feeds. While these quizzes are often based on pop-culture references (such as “Which ‘Frozen’ character are you?”), nearly anyone can find a quiz that is appealing to him or her. Quizzes range from “What type of sandwich are you?” to “What is your true aura?” According to Buzzfeed.com, these addictive quizzes are generating more Facebook comment threads than any other posts in the site’s history. Buzzfeed’s “What city do you actually belong in?” test was viewed over fourteen million times in two days. Social-media surfers can’t seem to resist these quizzes.

Why are these quizzes so appealing?

Personality quizzes are not a new phenomenon and have been popular in magazines for decades. However, social media encourages consumers to post the results allowing others to comment and compare. Participating in these quizzes is more than just a pursuit of entertainment; it illustrates our search for identity to answer the age-old question, “Who am I?” Buzzfeed admits quizzes are not meant to be scientific, but participants believe these tests hold meaning about their identity. Rather than an assessment of whom we truly are, they are designed to be an affirmation of how we view ourselves.

Who God says we are

The truth is that learning which Harry Potter character we are or what dog breed we would be has no value in discovering our true identity. Besides personality quizzes, we search for identity in performance, popularity, and possessions. Yet, all of these leave us empty. To find out who we are, we must first ask, “Who is God?” When we discover who God is, we discover who we are and what our purpose is in the world. Knowing and believing we are God’s children and righteous through Christ is what empowers us to help bring redemption to a broken humanity.

Question of the day: What role in your life (such as friend, athlete, daughter, student) provides you with the most powerful dose of self-worth?

Scriptures: Mark 1:9-11; Ephesians 1:3-10; Exodus 3:1-14; 4:10-17

For a complete lesson on this topic visit LinC.