Who
am I? This is a question that has been asked for centuries. Most of us have
possibly asked the same question. People often ask the question of us, “Who are
you?” or sometimes, “What are you?” They see the person that we present
by our “stage” presence but are not really able to see who we are. Even when we
look in the mirror, we will see only a representation of the real person. I’ve
heard of many young people that are constantly searching and going in many
different directions to “find out who they are.”
We used to play games with the children by describing something or someone and
allowing them to identify the person or thing. If we were trying to identify
who we are and trying to get someone to guess, what would we say? Would we start
by describing the outward appearance, with all the identifying features or
would we start by trying to describe the inner qualities, or faults, that
only God and the individual really know. The outer is easily describable but
the inner is difficult because our inner being is often camouflaged.
While taking personality test years ago, I took the test and then gave the same
test to three of my direct reports to also evaluate me. When the instructor
gave me the results, I tried to give it back to him stating, “You must have
given me the wrong one.” The fact was that I perceived myself totally different
as the others saw me. Then, I began to take another look and ask, “Who am I?”
Or, even more alarming, do we really know the answer to the question?
I believe that it is so easy, at times, to really lose sight of whom we are,
who we belong to and the purpose that we have in life. “I recently read again, the story of a man that was arrested at the age
of twenty-five and was convicted as a political prisoner. At the age of 80 when
the Soviet Union was being dissolved and many people were being released, it
was decided that he should be released. Before leaving the prison, he
asked for a mirror. As he looked into the mirror, he fell to his knees
and buried his face in his hands and wept. He had not seen his face in 55
years and therefore didn’t know what he looked like. He had lost all
perceptions of who he was and how he looked.”(1)
According to the scripture, we are very special with respect
to how God looks at us. God uniquely made each of us; therefore, we are
special in His eyes. There is a children's song that says, "I am a promise
I am a promise I am a possibility I am a promise with a capital P. I am a great
big bundle of potentiality"(2)
The writer of Psalms stated, “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is
amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous-and how well I know it.
You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion! You saw me before I
was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe.”(3)TLB
Do you know who you are? If someone asks you who you are, what will be your
answer? So how will you describe yourself to others? By what they see or by
what you say? So I now ask you, “Who are you?” What will be your answer?
Who am I? I am ____________________.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you
for loving us exactly as we are. We know that we are creations of your
beauty and love. Help us this day to praise you for us being fearfully and
wonderfully made. Help us to be all that you intended us to be. In Jesus name
we pray. Amen.
