Who we are is a serious matter that most of us don’t give too much thought to. Most of us just get on with being who we are without thinking too deeply about defining ourselves. And there’s a danger in getting lost in the quest to find ourselves. That’s something some people get buried in.
So, without sinking you into the abyss of navel gazing, let me at least get you to reflect on the question, “Who Are You?” I especially want you to see the spiritual value of the question.
God asked that question of people at times, making them reflect on the kind of person they had been or were to become. We see that in relation to people’s names. God changed people’s names to reflect the new identity they were being given.
Abram, meaning ‘exalted father’ was changed to ‘Abraham’ – ‘father of many nations’. Jesus’ disciple Simon was given the name Peter, meaning a ‘stone’. Jacob, meaning ‘cheat’ was given the new name Israel, meaning ‘Prince with God’.
The change of name was not just a new label, but a new identity, changing who the people were.
At other times we are told that people changed in character by such things as the Holy Spirit giving them a new heart. This happened to a young man named Saul when he was called to become King of Israel.
“Then the Spirit of the Lord will come on you, and you will prophesy with the prophets; and you will be transformed into a different person.” 1Samuel 10:6
“It so happened that when Saul turned to leave Samuel God gave him another heart. And all the signs Samuel predicted came to pass that day.” 1Samuel 10:9
At other times we find God calling people to rise to become something they weren’t before, such as Moses being called to lead the children of Israel or Gideon called to lead an army against Midian. Both men resisted the call, knowing it was outside their desire and what they thought they could do. God, however, enabled them to meet the calling, once they accepted it.
That shows there is no need to fear self-discovery. We may find that we are not as good a person as we want to be or want others to believe we are. But that’s not a problem with God. Our current identity is not a prison, or a life sentence, but a reality we can bring to God and have transformed by God’s grace.
If you’ve been afraid to discover your true self, let me encourage you that, with God working in us, there is no fear in finding things wrong with us. We can bring our sin and shame to God, as well as our weakness, compromise, selfishness, pride, hurt, and so on. God will restore our soul and form the character of Christ within us. There’s nothing wrong with becoming a better you.
It’s a given that you are not as good a person as you want to believe you are. That’s normal. We all have high ideas of ourself and high hopes for ourself. If each of us was to see ourselves compared with God’s glory and holiness we’d drop dead on the spot. So get over it – you are an unworthy person in just about every aspect of your life.
Yet God loves you, and Christ died for you, to rescue you from yourself and your sin and failure. God’s plan for you is that His Holy Spirit lives within you and leads you and empowers you to be a transformed person.
In view of the negatives in our lives, let me prompt you to consider that you are selfish, and you are proud, and you are wilful, and you are fearful, and you are weak. You are under various influences from the world and the devil. You have experienced things that have impacted you and distorted how you see things and relate to others.
In short you are a selfish, failing person who is damaged and bound, and bent on your own destruction. Doesn’t sound very nice, does it? But it’s about average. You are on par with the rest of the world.
Among all that, of course, you have good qualities and good moments, like just about everyone else too.
In view of the positives, God has placed His character deep inside you, so you have capacity and inclination to express God in your life, even if you don’t know it. And you have a deep-seated desire to be connected with God, since only God can truly fulfil our being.
And God loves you and plans for the wonderful things inside you to be brought to life when you walk with Him and follow His instructions.
With God’s help you are able to die to self, give up your pride, come free from your damage, and fulfil purposes you would think way beyond you.
Your danger is in thinking too highly of yourself, which is giving in to pride. You will want to protect your reputation, look good in the eyes of others, quell any misgivings you have about yourself, and avoid having to humble yourself.
Apostle Paul instructs you to think clearly about yourself, and to see what God is doing in you, not what you think you have of your own ability.
“I say, through the grace given me, to every man among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God has given to every man the measure of faith.” Romans 12:3
A good place to start understanding yourself is to be humble, and acknowledge your weaknesses and failings. This is what confessing our sins is all about. We acknowledge we have failed.
In the light of that humility we can begin to see more clearly how we relate to others, what impact we have on our loved ones, how demanding we might be, how helpful or difficult we might be, and so on.
Let God show you yourself, and accept the unhappy things. Then take those negatives to God, so He can make you are better you. As God does that you will be happy to answer the question Who Are You?
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