Do You Know Who You Are?

This title sounds crazy right?  You probably said, “Of course I know who I am?”  Do you?  Are you the person you thought you would be or want to be?   Or are you the person everyone expects you to be?  How well do you know your individual self, not the one you are to other people, but the one you were created to be.

What helps us decide who we are, our titles?  For Example: mother, father, sister, brother, wife, husband, friend etc. or our job titles? We are those but do those titles tell us everything about who we are? 

I have spent quite a bit of time analyzing who I am especially in Christ.  Christ gives me a sense of contentment and assurance so I can be good in my own skin with the quirks, talents and the personality I have been given.  When I married Mark, I chose not make him my whole life, he enhanced my life, he was a partner in life with me. He was a gift from God, so I appreciated and loved that relationship more than I can put into words.  Because I did not make Mark my whole life, I believe this is one reason I have weathered the grief storm a little better than some other people that have lost a loved one.  Don’t get me wrong, I grieve him, it’s quite a loss, but I did not lose myself just because I lost him, and that’s the difference.  I  have always known that I am a separate person that God created with unique differences, talents and character and that I would still have a life to live and things to do if he were to go first.

I think we can get lost in other people and lose sight of ourselves. When this happens and they move or pass away, we can become severely devastated and depressed.   When we get so lost in others, we can set aside the things that make us uniquely wonderful and able to be used by God.  But when we allow ourselves to be individuals walking in God’s chosen character for us, we are able to find that sweet spot of life where we find individual fulfillment and know who we are.

My suggestions: If you question who you really are, write lists: like, what traits do you possess, what likes and talents do you have, what do you enjoy doing, what don’t you like, also make a list of what you would like to change.  Now write a list of what God says about you and what talents he has given you that can be used for him.  Then write a list of all the blessings you have in your life (things you are thankful for) even down to your comfortable bed.  I think by the end of your list making you may know more about yourself as an individual person, not as a wife, mother or friend etc. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not in any way telling you to put yourself above other people, no, not at all, I’m saying be true to yourself and to God.

Here are a few (well many, I got carried away, LOL) Bible verses for your review that help explain who you are and how much you are loved by God. *What God says you are when you believe and accept his son Jesus into your heart.

Psalm 139:13-16 *uniquely made

1 Peter 2:9 *royalty

John 1:12 *child of God

2 Corinthians 5:17 *new creation

Philippians 3:20 *citizen of heaven

Isaiah 62:3-5 *Precious

Ephesians 2:10 God’s masterpiece

1 John 4:4 *overcomer

John 3:16 *loved

1 Corinthians 6:19 *temple of the Holy Spirit

2 Timothy 1:7 *equipped

Romans 8:37 *conqueror

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 anointed

1 Peter 5:7 *carefree

Ephesians 1:7 *forgiven

Philippians 4:13 *strengthened

2 Corinthians 5:20 *an ambassador

Ephesians 3:12 *a God confident person

Galatians 5:1 *free

Romans 8:28 *guided

Matthew 5:13-16 *set apart-the salt of the earth

Matthew 5:14 * a positive example

Ephesians 6:10 *strong

Jeremiah 1:5 *appointed

Many of the people in your life are blessings, but at the end of the day you are left with just you and God. Neither your spouse nor your children or friends can be the go between you and God or change anything about you.  Also, our happiness (contentment), and our mistakes cannot be projected onto someone else, they are ours to fulfill and ours to embrace or change. God is the only one that can help us with those things.

Yes, the people in our lives can bring us much joy and we can enjoy that blessing to the fullest, but we should never depend on them to fulfill all our needs.  People are fallible and we can set ourselves up for hurt and disappointment when they don’t live up to our expectations.  But know, we do not lose our individuality by lovingly doing things for and with our family and friends. Putting God first, others second and ourselves last does not by any means infringe on ability to be our own person. It actually makes us a better person.

When we are content with ourselves and have a relationship with Jesus, most things about our life (even our relationships) will be a whole lot better. Oh, we will go through loss and other difficult things (we live on earth not in heaven) but we cannot easily lose ourselves if we know who we are!

 Prayer

Lord, thank you for making each of us different than any other person.  Help us embrace that and strive to walk as your son or daughter in step with you.  Thank you for the people you have brought into our lives.  May we live with a grateful heart for those blessings. Help us find out who we are as individuals created by you. Open our eyes to all our possibilities and open doors of opportunity for us to find true fulfilment as we live and serve you and others.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

God Bless

Sally