Identity

“You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name” John 15:16

A lot of people in today’s world wear masks. This is why there is so much hypocrisy because people do not know who they are. In order to be accepted, people try to pass off themselves as being something or someone they think will be accepted. Perhaps I will be accepted if I am pious so he or she puts on a pious attitude. She gets into another circle of people and decides to expose a little bit of your body just to be accepted. He or she is a different person in every group, just living a confused life. But all that will come to an end in Jesus Name. Know who you are! The interesting thing is it is futile to try to be different things with different people because you will need to have a lot of back up masks. That in itself is a lot of confusion. Just be yourself! I overheard someone telling another person about me, at home he is the same person you see in church. If I laugh in church, I laugh at home but some people do not laugh in church. My wife and I had the privilege of having lunch with the spiritual growth group in the church we pastor. And one of the leaders said something like her life changed when she saw me get angry with my wife. See how God works deliverance even in my anger! We do not pretend we never have issues. Some people try so hard to paint a picture of a perfect marriage with perfect children. This world is broken and as long as we are on this side of eternity we would have issues. But Jesus said, “come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I would give you rest” Matt.11:28 [KJV]. We set unrealistic standards for ourselves but God wants you to be stress free.

Your next question might be how do I know who I am? It is simple, you know who you are by knowing whose you are. I spent my first two years of secondary school in a boarding house and I was just a little bit on the rascally side. But these words rang consistently in my thoughts, “remember whose son you are”. So even when I had plans to do something bad, break the locks on cabinets with goodies, or scores to settle with people I had black listed. I hear those words “remember whose son you are” and it restrains me. One time I forgot “whose son I was”, I was suspended and flogged in front of the whole school. The consequences can be grave when we forgot whose we are. You know who you are when you know whose you are. You are a child of God bought with a high price!

Prayer: Lord God Almighty, You are my Father, my Creator and I am Yours, Your child and the sheep of Your pasture. In You I have found my identity, in Jesus Name.