Thursday, March 18, 2010

Who are you?”

We have all been asked that question in one way or another.  Normally, we reply with a description of what we do, the type of job we work at, or a generic explanation of our life in general.  We respond that we are single, married, parents, grandparents; throwing in details concerning the things we do for recreation, habits, likes and dislikes.  But rarely do we ever answer the question with any depth and conviction.  Most of us would prefer not to wear our true selves on our sleeves.  We would prefer that people walked away with a good impression, instead of possibly seeing a defect we are attempting to hide.

Today’s devotion took the question of “Who are you?” a step further: “If what you do is who you are, who will you be when you stop doing what you’re doing?”  If you suddenly found your life void of all the things that define you on the outside, what would be left?  What answer would you then give?  It is at this critical point in our lives that a choice to answer correctly is forced upon us.  Our true identity, what defines the core of our heart and what we hold the dearest, then becomes the real issue.  We are stripped bare of all the outward accoutrements we once used to explain ourselves and are forced to reveal an identity we may have been keeping secret - our Christianity.

Because I claim Jesus Christ as my Savior does not mean that I always identify with Him as I should when I conduct business or interact with others.  The correct response to the “Who are you” question should always be, “I am a follower of Jesus Christ”.  Not what, but Who that defines our very being should first be revealed to those who ask what makes us who we are.  If I fail to place God first and acknowledge Him as the Giver of all I possess, including my income and the provisions and gifts He has bestowed upon me, then I am deceiving those who ask the question - and deceiving myself.  Being a follower of Jesus should always be my first response.  Everything else that defines me is secondary because, without Him, I would have nothing.

The next time you are approached and asked, “Who are you?”, pause a moment and ask yourself the question.  Are you keeping a secret identity that is only revealed to a certain few insiders?  Or will your response be, “I am a follower of Jesus Christ.  He defines me.”  As today’s devotion concluded, “It’s all the identity I need.”

Recommended reading:
  • Isaiah 30:21
  • Matthew 11:1-6; 16:13-20
  • Mark 8:27
  • Luke 9:23; 11:33-36; 22:31-36; 22:54-62
  • John 8:12; 10:4; 10:27
  • 1Corinthians 13:12
  • James 1:23