This post is part II of our series on Identity
Who do you say you are?
When my children were young, sometimes I would forget my three-year-old son was playing in the next room. Hearing sounds from the hallway made me ask, who is there? He would respond, it’s me and then pronounce his first name confidently with a few missing consonants. I always chuckled at his response.
How do you define yourself?
A Listening Heart
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Imagine you are on a bus traveling with two women from Moab to Bethlehem. You introduce yourself and ask them their names. The first woman smiles as she introduces herself as Ruth. The second woman answered with a scowl, I am Mara. Without knowing her or her story, you felt negative vibes and a wave of underlying anger. You probably suspect life must have dealt her a hard blow. (Ruth 1:19-21)
Jesus was hanging out with his disciples in private. He wanted to get a sense of how people identified him. He asked them these questions:
Who do the crowds say I am?
The disciples replied, some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others say you are one of the prophets from long ago that has come back to life. Then Jesus challenged the disciples further by asking them, who do you say I am?
Peter answered, The Christ of God (Luke 9: 18-20).
The two questions that Jesus asked reflects how you and I usually define ourselves; by who we think we are and by how others define us.
Mara’s actual name is Naomi which means pleasant, but because of losing her husband and two sons while living in Moab, she renamed herself Mara- bitter, resentful, angry. She was angry at God because she felt he had made her life very bitter.
Can you relate?
How do you define yourself? Who do you say you are? Sometimes like Naomi, we too call ourselves names like foolish, dumb, slow, and unloved based on our own perceived failures or how others have treated us unfairly.
But the most important question is: Who does God say you are?
Who am I?
That is how God sees you.
- God sees you as his beloved
- Beloved son or daughter
- Forgiven and Redeemed
- Apple of his eyes (the most precious part of the eye)
- Masterpiece, unique, one of a kind, a beautiful work of art, that is in progress
- Child of God
Who you and I are is not defined by our successes, accomplishments, significance, bad experiences, our feelings, or how others see us.
Friend, take some time this week to reflect and journal through these three questions.
- Who do I say I am?
- Who do people say I am?
- Who does God say I am?
Let’s settle this issue once and for all so you can embrace your true identity in Christ.
You are fearfully and wonderfully made.
You are God’s masterpiece.
If you would like to invite Jesus into your heart to be your Lord and Savior, and embrace your identity, pray this prayer.
Prayer: Lord, I admit I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins and come into my heart. I accept your gift of salvation and I give my life to you. Thank you for loving me. Amen
God bless you, friend.
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Scripture: Ephesians 1:3-14, Psalm 139:14, Deuteronomy 32:10, Zech. 2:8, Ephesians 2:10, John 1:12, John 3:16
