Wednesday’s Word
by Dorette Saunders
Many of us are familiar with the passage in which Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” (Matthew 16:13, NIV), and then, after getting their response, he quickly asks a follow-up question, “Who do you say I am?” Peter, prompted by the Holy Spirit, points to the divinity of Christ:
“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16, NIV).
Imagine the scene being reversed in which our Lord asks each of us, “Who are you?”
Would we be flummoxed by the question? Would our response be based on what we think Jesus would want to hear? Would our reply be centered on our profession, our place in the family, or what we aspire to be? Take some time to think about it.
The Scriptures tell us that it is God’s Spirit and our persevering faith that makes us who we are and what God has called us to be. None of the heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11, (Joshua, Samson, Rahab, David, and others) achieved that title without their willingness to believe God and act with boldness in accordance with God’s Word.
Like them, we, too, can be believers who know who we are, strive to accomplish God’s purposes, and depend on God’s power to continually transform us into his likeness.
Sadly, however, quite often our view of ourselves are either one that’s narcissistic (where we think of ourselves more highly than we ought to [Romans 12:3]) or one that debases us (where we forget that God’s Spirit dwells within us [1 Corinthians 6:19-20]).
God wants us to have a healthy sense of self. And, while we are, indeed, the sum of our parts…our family history, profession, religious beliefs, our life experiences, we are far more than that.
In fact, who we truly are, is who we are when no one is watching. Our personal integrity says far more about us than all the adjectives we use to describe ourselves, or the accolades people toss our way.
To be sure, what God says about us is what matters most. So, who are we?
· Reflectors of God’s image (Genesis 1:27)
· God’s masterpieces (Ephesians 2:10)
· Beloved of God (John 3:16)
· Royalty (1 Peter 2:9-10)
· Treasure keepers (2 Corinthians 4:7)
· Temples of God’s Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
· Lights for the world (Matthew 5:14-16)
· Overcomers (Romans 8:37)
The list continues throughout Scripture. While people judge us by what they see, the Bible tells us that God looks at our hearts (1 Samuel 16:7).
As we walk daily in faith, we know that we are cheered on by a company of saints who have gone before us. May we endeavor to follow closely in the footsteps of our Lord that we may be counted worthy of our calling, and be confident of who we are in Christ Jesus.
PRAYER: Lord, even as we struggle to define who we are, we are grateful that before the mountains were formed, or anything was put in place in the world, you were God. You are God and will always be God, and we will always be who you say we are. May we represent you well in our thoughts, words, and actions. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
©M©dytations 2022
August 10, 2022
Wednesday’s Word
Who Are You…?
Many of us are familiar with the passage in which Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” (Matthew 16:13, NIV), and then, after getting their response, he quickly asks a follow-up question, “Who do you say I am?” Peter, prompted by the Holy Spirit, points to the divinity of Christ:
“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16, NIV).
Imagine the scene being reversed in which our Lord asks each of us, “Who are you?”
Would we be flummoxed by the question? Would our response be based on what we think Jesus would want to hear? Would our reply be centered on our profession, our place in the family, or what we aspire to be? Take some time to think about it.
The Scriptures tell us that it is God’s Spirit and our persevering faith that makes us who we are and what God has called us to be. None of the heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11, (Joshua, Samson, Rahab, David, and others) achieved that title without their willingness to believe God and act with boldness in accordance with God’s Word.
Like them, we, too, can be believers who know who we are, strive to accomplish God’s purposes, and depend on God’s power to continually transform us into his likeness.
Sadly, however, quite often our view of ourselves are either one that’s narcissistic (where we think of ourselves more highly than we ought to [Romans 12:3]) or one that debases us (where we forget that God’s Spirit dwells within us [1 Corinthians 6:19-20]).
God wants us to have a healthy sense of self. And, while we are, indeed, the sum of our parts…our family history, profession, religious beliefs, our life experiences, we are far more than that.
In fact, who we truly are, is who we are when no one is watching. Our personal integrity says far more about us than all the adjectives we use to describe ourselves, or the accolades people toss our way.
To be sure, what God says about us is what matters most. So, who are we?
· Reflectors of God’s image (Genesis 1:27)
· God’s masterpieces (Ephesians 2:10)
· Beloved of God (John 3:16)
· Royalty (1 Peter 2:9-10)
· Treasure keepers (2 Corinthians 4:7)
· Temples of God’s Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
· Lights for the world (Matthew 5:14-16)
· Overcomers (Romans 8:37)
The list continues throughout Scripture. While people judge us by what they see, the Bible tells us that God looks at our hearts (1 Samuel 16:7).
As we walk daily in faith, we know that we are cheered on by a company of saints who have gone before us. May we endeavor to follow closely in the footsteps of our Lord that we may be counted worthy of our calling, and be confident of who we are in Christ Jesus.
PRAYER: Lord, even as we struggle to define who we are, we are grateful that before the mountains were formed, or anything was put in place in the world, you were God. You are God and will always be God, and we will always be who you say we are. May we represent you well in our thoughts, words, and actions. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
©M©dytations 2022
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