Who are you?

Daughter, sister, mother? Student, teacher, worker? Single, wife, widow? Loner, popular?

If I were to stand in front of you right now and ask you who you are, what would you say? We are so much more than our name and origin. While there are many roles we may have throughout our lives, it can be dangerous to wrap our identity around these. You may be a student, but thet will come to an end when you finish your studies. You may identify with your job, but what happens if that suddenly terminates? Maybe your primary identity is being a wife, and suddenly your husband leaves you or dies. Or your utmost joy has been mothering your child, but now he is off to college, the service or getting married, and you feel so lost. So, who are you now?

At some time in their life, everyone asks themself who they are and what they are doing in the world. Two of our most basic human needs are identity and purpose. God created us with the desire to know that our life means something. When we don’t feel that, a sense of hopelessness comes in bringing loneliness, depression and even suicidal thoughts to many.

When God told Moses to go to Egypt to free the Israelites, he asked God, Who am I to go to Pharoah and set the people free? God did not tell him, you can do this as a prince raised in Pharoah’s palace. Nor did he tell him, you are a great man set apart from birth. God’s answer was. I will be with you. In other words, it wasn’t about who Moses was as much as who he was identified with. Moses decided to believe God, and God did amazing things through him.

When John the Baptist was asked who he was, he replied, I am the voice of one crying n the wilderness. John was not looking for fame or a name for himself. He knew that his purpose was to prepare the way of the Lord, so men would follow after Jesus. His purpose was his identity.

One day, Jesus asked his disciples, Who do men say that I am? They answered, some say you are John the Baptist (he had been killed by then), others Elijah and others one of the prophets. Then Jesus asked, Who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. Peter could not know this on his own, he needed a revelation from God, as do each one of us so that we believe on him for salvation and eternal life.

I don’t know where you are in life- whether you are just stretching your wings and trying to figure out what in the world you are supposed to do with your life or caught up in the whirlwind of non-stop busyness raising a family. Maybe you are dreading that your nest is emptying or you have suffered a sudden undesired change in circumstances that has you lost. Whatever your situation, you are not alone and you do not have to figure it all out on your own. God thought of you, created a special you, and brought you into the world for this time in history for a purpose that only you can fulfill. (See Psalm 139 and Ephesians 2:10).

Don’t worry, it’s not about you, it’s about who you are with.

Sound like a lot of pressure? Don’t worry. It’s not about you, it’s about who you are with. The greatest identity a person can ever have is that found in John 1:12, But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. God not only created you, he invites you to be adopted in his family, made his son or daughter, and promises to never, ever leave you. You just have to believe it, believe him at his word. Then as you relate daily with your loving Father, he will reveal to you who you are and what wondrous purposes he has planned for your life.

So, stop and take a deep breath. If you have never said – “Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God who came to earth, died for me, rose from the dead, reigns in heaven today and one day will come back for his own” – today is your day to know without a doubt who you are. Believe it in your heart and tell him as if he were sitting beside you, because he is. Welcome to my family, the family of God. You never have to fear being alone or purposeless in life, just look to him each day.

God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. Psalm 68:6

One of the greatest tactics of the enemy is to make you feel alone or undeserving of God’s love. Don’t let him get to you with his lies. God loves you always and forever. He has your present and your future in his hands and wants nothing more than to walk with you. He loves you unconditionally, just as you are. But he also loves you too much to leave you as you are, so choose to grow in all he has for you.

I think of two great songs that I recommend you listen to, asking God to reveal his love to you and give you understanding of his purposes. One is “No longer slaves” by Bethel Music. Part of it says, “From my mother’s womb You have chosen me, Love has called my name. I’ve been born again into Your family, your blood flows through my veins. I’m no longer a slave to fear, I am a child of God. You split the sea So I could walk right through it. My fears are drowned in perfect love. You rescued me So I could stand and say, I am a child of God”. Don’t let worry, stress and emotions get the best of you. Just say, I’m with him, and he’s got this.

The other song is “Good, good Father” by Chris Tomlin. Listen, let go of all pressure and stress and join me saying today “You’re a good, good Father, it’s who you are. And I’m loved by You, it’s who I am”.