Who are you? (Revisited)

Last September, I posted an entry and it resonated with me, so I’m reposting it today (see below). So many times, I've need to be reminded of who I am, because life happens and it’s sometimes hard to not be distracted by the minutia we face on this journey. But today, while listening to a message by Priscilla Shirer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klkEKMTe3OY), I was reminded that only God can define us. He is creator of all and He determines who and what we are. Period. When we rebel against that, we suffer for it. So, I hope having another read of this, you are encouraged that God sees and cares about you, no matter the circumstance. He knows you. If you accept Him, through His Son Jesus, He will never leave you. Enjoy!

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Over the past few weeks, we’ve been studying “Who Am I?” in middle school ministry. As I’ve learned more as I prepared for class and I thought I would share here. So many times, we are defined by what we do or our title – at work and at home. We search for value and meaning from those around us. Our identity and how we define ourselves drives our thoughts and actions and many times to our detriment. We get so busy trying to “do” that we stop “being”. 

That’s why it is so freeing to be defined by our Creator and to know who we are and who we were created to be. God told us who we are in His Word, but we forget or don’t really grasp what it means. It doesn’t make sense that the creation can define itself, even if it has the ability to reason and the gift of free will. No matter what we call ourselves, we were defined before we were born. According to the word, we are more than conquerors in Christ (Rom 8:37).  We are the head and not the tail.  We are above and not beneath (Deut 28:13).  We are salt and light in the earth (Matt 5:13-16). If we begin to speak the Word over our lives, I believe we will begin to line up with what the Word says and see our lives change. 

So, let’s talk more about a few of the identifying traits right now:

We were created in the image of God (Gen 1:27), whether we choose to have a relationship with Him through Jesus or not. God gave us the ability to be inventive and creative. He gave us the ability to reason and think for ourselves. He gave us the ability to learn and love and show kindness. We are created in His image but still dependent upon Him for our very lives. We only exist at His allowance. 

If we’ve been saved by His magnificent Grace, we are the righteousness of God…not because of anything we did or can do in the future but because of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. Because Jesus is righteous, when we accept Him as personal savior, His righteousness becomes ours (2 Cor 5:21). There is nothing we can do to deserve to be righteous or anything we can say that makes us righteous – it is all Jesus’s doing, but we do have to accept the gift He gives. We couldn’t earn it, it is by God’s grace that we are saved through faith (Eph 2:8-9).

Christ followers are Citizens of Heaven (Phil 3:20-21). The bible is clear that we are visitors in this world. We are not here to stay. When we accept Jesus, we get our citizenship in Heaven and that is where we will spend eternity. Because the soul doesn’t die, it will go somewhere. As followers of Jesus, we can rest in confidence that we will go to the place He is preparing for us where we will be with Him (John 14:2-3). 

How does it make you feel to know how God thinks of you? It makes me feel valuable and able to stand in the now knowing that I don’t have to be perfect or different. He wants me to be fully my authentic self…..the person He made me to be – not who I think I ought to be or who pleases me – I’m not on the throne. He is.

Find Your Joy!

I’ve heard people say to find the thing you’d do for free and it will never feel like work. I must say I understand the sentiment since writing is that for me. While I can’t do it fulltime, I do love it. I’ve thought about what I would do if I had all the resources I needed and I could do anything. I would read and write. The thing is that even though I don’t have all the resources and I have to work in the place God has me right now, I still find time to read/edit and write. I stop and start but it’s something that’s never far away from me.

This blog is in part a result of that passion for reading and writing. It’s another way God uses me (Col 3:23-24). Yes, I have a day job, but that doesn’t mean that my passion is lost. I use it in my work, but it fulfills a higher purpose. Each week, I get to touch each of you because I’m walking in this part of me. The part of me that God gave me to touch people with words. Now its not something that just happened, I’ve been writing since I was in college….a long time ago. The skill has been built over the years. I’ve taken writing classes and read books on writing. I’ve done quite a bit of writing over the years. It’s a passion that fulfills me (Psa 128:2).

What’s yours? What has God put on the inside of you that you love? What has God put on the inside of you that you would do for free? Have you ever looked at your life and figured out what brings you the most fulfillment? Have you sought God on how you should use it? What brings you joy? If you had all the resources you need to survive and thrive, what would you do? What are you doing about it? What are you doing to prepare for that thing? What will you regret when you come to the end of your earthly life that you didn’t do? What are you waiting for? What are you willing to sacrifice to fulfill it? 

When we come to the end of our lives, we’ll have to give an account of ourselves to God (Rom 14:12). What will your account include? What have you done with what He put in you? Who have you blessed with it? It’s time to remember that we are all more than one thing. Yes, I’m a daughter, an aunt, a niece, a friend, a minister, a boss, an employee, a writer, and so many other things. In all of those roles, I have a particular purpose. They are different, but I will have to answer for what I did in all of them. Have you considered your responsibilities in all your roles? It’s a balancing act. More of some at different times than others, but never dropping them completely. The main point is to fulfill the purpose you’ve been given (Acts 20:24).

Take a look at your life. Don’t live with regret (Phil 3:13). Find the things that bring you true joy and do them.

Fathers!

Today, on Father’s Day, it felt important to talk about mine. My dad is a good one. I’ve been blessed my whole life to have a dad who was always there for me, even if he is a glass half-empty kind of guy. Yes, he acknowledges how good God is, but he grew up during the 50s and 60s in the South as a Black man. He carries a lot of that with him everyday and he sees the world through that lens. 

I know he expects the other shoe to drop. It’s unfortunate, but in spite of that, he keeps moving and pushing. Always has. He’s taught me to work hard and treat people the way I want to be treated (Prov 22:6; Matt 7:12). He’s super supportive of me and everything I’ve accomplished in life. He’s a good dad. He loves us and has always worked hard to provide. And even though he’s the best dad I could ever hope for, he’s imperfect. Just like we all are. I realize that I sometimes hold him up on a pedestal and because he’s human he falls. Just like everyone else. I sometimes forget that he is not the standard. God is!

We are all in a fallen state and when we are saved, we in the process of being changed back to the perfect state Adam and Eve were in prior to the fall. God uses everything we go through to bring us back to Him because He was always Father. He always loved us. 

Have you ever thought about how God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit all existed and thrived before anything was created? They were. God was always The Father, Jesus was always The Son, and the Holy Spirit was The Power to move and be and create. They didn’t become because God created us! He was a Father to the only begotten Son for all eternity. So, He is the example of what fatherhood should look like.  

When I think about my dad, I thank God for him. On a smaller scale than Father God, he’s made sacrifices for me and loved me unconditionally. He’s encouraged me and shared wise counsel. I couldn’t ask for a better dad and I wouldn’t trade him for anything (Mal 4:6).  But I’m so glad I have two fathers (Heb 12:9). I’ve been blessed with a heavenly Father who is always present with me and who chose me and He blessed me with a good earthly father (Matt 10:37). I adore them both. I pray that you are so blessed.

On this Father’s Day, I pray that my life makes them both proud to call me daughter. To all the fathers and father-figures out there, I pray that you have an amazing day and you know how important you are to all those around you.

God’s Patience with Us!

Have you ever been frustrated by a child or someone you work with or a family member? I know that I have. I’ve stepped away from some because I didn’t feel like they would ever get it. Sometimes, I needed to because they would have influenced me in the wrong direction and sometimes, I just got tired of what I felt was a waste of my time. I don’t know if I did the right thing in all those situations, and I hope someone was there to step into the gap as God purposed. What I do know is that God’s is way more patient than I am. I have seen it throughout my life. 

There have been many times I would have walked away from me, but God. Like Paul, sometimes when I want to do what’s right, I don’t. But God is still patient and He still loves me. He is a keeper and I can’t wear Him out. He stays – He already said He would never leave nor forsake me…..even when I mess up because I am His (Heb 13:5). Yes, there are consequences, but He is there with me. 

What is going on in your life that you believe God won’t forgive you? What is going on in your life that you know God is not pleased with? What is your something that you are so ashamed of and don’t know where to take it? You can take it to God through Jesus. 

God loves you. He already knows who and what you are. He made you. Nothing catches Him by surprise. He is there where you are, but He requires that you acknowledge who He is. He is Lord, whether you accept Him as that or not. But because he loves you and me so much, He sent His Son that we could be saved (John 3:16). He sent His Son so that we could be in right relationship with Him (John 14:6). All we have to do is accept Jesus as Lord and Savior (Rom 10:9-10). 

We have to acknowledge who He is and who we are. We were born sinners, every one of us. We were born in sin and it looks different on all of us. Because of God’s great patience and grace, He affords us the opportunity to be His. We get to choose. What will you choose – eternal life or eternal death? We can choose to receive His amazing gift or throw it back in His face. What will you choose? 

We All Need Friends

A friend is defined as a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection. I have been blessed with several. Some I met when I was in school or college. Others joined my community through church or a shared love of entertainment. Some I met at work. They all play different roles in my life and sit at different levels, but all of them hold a special place in my heart. 

This past weekend, four good friends, who I’ve grown to love over the past two decades, and I spent the weekend celebrating a birthday. It was a great weekend. While we haven’t been all together in many, many years, we laughed and talked like no time had passed. It was an amazing weekend of fun and laughter and bonding. 

I understand that I’m blessed and fortunate to have many friends who I can connect with at any number of times and in any number of cities around the US. I know not everyone has that. And within any friendship, it’s important to know who you can trust and how close to get to them (Prov. 18:24). Some people claim to be a friend but would turn on you at the earliest opportunity. Others would give their last. 

What kind of friends do you have? Are they encouraging and supportive? Would they give you whatever they have to help you along the way? Would they put your needs above their own?  What have they shown you? Trust it – not what they say but what they do. People can say anything, but what do they do? Are they selfish and always trying to one up you and others? Are they always taking and never giving? Are they one who shares everything they have? Are they generous with their time and money, even if they have little of it? Once you evaluate your friendships and identify where they line up, you can make better decisions about how you relate to them. 

I hope you can identify some really strong friendships, as we all need someone we can count on to be there. That leads us right to Jesus. He is someone we can always count on. He calls us friend, those of us who accept Him as savior. He gave His life for us (John 15:13). You can’t get more dependable than that. Not matter how good our earthly friends are, they can never exceed His love and care for us. Yes, we need earthly friends, but we need Jesus more. 

God is Faithful!

I must say that moving is not for the faith of heart. But God is Faithful. I think you’re aware, I’ve been in a move for the past few months. God has blessed me with amazing friends, some of whom have traveled to see and help me along the way. He’s also given me confidence and assurance that I heard from Him in making this move. He’s given me peace while not everything has happened in the way I wanted it to happen. He’s provided for me even when I was frustrated about purchases or unpacking or waiting for something to arrive. He’s also closed some doors and opened some windows for my good. 

Case in point, I’ve been waiting for a refrigerator for the past three weeks or so. I made a purchase and waited for the refrigerator to arrive with high anticipation. The delivery driver and helper arrived and the brand-new refrigerator had a foot long dent in the back that looked like a crease. Needless to say, I didn’t take delivery. Within a week, another refrigerator was delivered. This one had a dent across one whole side, again, I didn’t take delivery. The last time took the cake…..the delivery driver couldn’t find my house. I was so frustrated and after so many chances, I finally cancelled the order – the third time was the charm for me. 

What I didn’t realize was that God was already working it out for my good and that He would get the glory (Rom 8:28). He reminded me that He is God and He has what’s best for me. I went online to a local furniture store and ordered a new refrigerator extremely similar to the refrigerator I had purchased originally. Not only were they able to deliver within a few days, but I saved a significant amount off the original refrigerator. That savings will take care of some other needs. 

Had the original refrigerator worked, I never would have recognized God as my source in this situation. I was reminded that God works in all parts of my life. Not just the ones where I specifically ask for Him to intervene. He has a plan for me (Jer 29:10-11). It is for my good. The things that matter to me, matter to Him. But He has a plan and a purpose. He is faithful to take care of His own (Heb 13:5-6). He promised to provide for us and to never leave us (Phil 4:19). Sometimes we forget, but He never does. He’s faithful to do what He said (1 Cor 1:9).

Friends Love!

Friendship is an immeasurable gift that we give to each other. When it’s done right, it’s a true depiction of what love should look like. Real friends love….and they love hard (Prov 17:17). They put each other’s needs ahead of their own. If they know Jesus, they pray for each other and provide for each other. They are there when everyone else has gone home making sure the other is okay. They sacrifice for each other. (Prov 18:24)

Recently, I had two friends on different occasions come to visit me in my new city. Both of them, even though they were traveling spent time with me preparing my new home so I would be closer to fully living in the house. They didn’t have to do that. They could have come to visit and just hung out in the city. However, they put my needs ahead of their desire to sightsee or spend time being entertained. That is what real friendship looks like. It looks like identifying a need for someone close and working to meet it. 

I’ve been blessed with amazing friends and I don’t mean acquaintances. Friends are not just the ones I laugh and joke with. They are not just the ones I share a meal with. They are the ones who know the deeper parts of me and they show up. The thing about friendship is that it’s a two-way street. You can’t expect someone else to do all the giving and you never provide anything to the relationship. That is called taking advantage of someone’s generosity.

So, if you find yourself short on people who will go the extra mile for you and are true friends, consider whether you are being a true friend or not. And the flip side of that is if you have people who manipulate and use you, you should reevaluate those relationships and make sure they are ones you should hold on to. Life (in the earth) is too short to be distracted.