Who am I?

By Mark Schaefer

‘Who am I?’  Have you ever asked this question of YOURSELF?  Maybe the question came in a different form.  ‘What in the world is my identity?’ or ‘what is the meaning of life from where I stand in this world?’  Have you ever then gone about chasing the answer to that question?  How did you go about it?  What was your starting point? 

As I seek to know the significance of myself in this immense universe, this question may start to stir in me thoughts of ‘God’.  ‘Does He exist?’  ‘Where is He?’ ‘And where do I stand in relation to this God?’ 

In this pursuit I naturally go down the track of chasing my own identity, one forged around my own ideals according to how I see the world from where I stand.  After all, what other identity could possibly be relevant to me?? 

Well, funny I should ask, because as it turns out, God has always had an eternal identity prepared for me.  I have been ‘fearfully and wonderfully’ tailor made to be just that.  Yes, the God of this immense universe made me unique and special – an identity as a son of God.

God desires a deep and meaningful relationship with me as His son.  But how can this be since the Bible describes Jesus as the ‘only begotten’ Son of God the Father.  Where is there room for others?  The answer is simple.  Jesus certainly was the ‘only begotten’ before He died on the cross.  But in His resurrection He became the ‘firstborn’ of many brothers.  Colossians 1:18, Romans 8:29.  I can now be ‘in Christ’, in the ‘body of Christ’, in the church, by being in true relationship with everyone else who is ‘in Christ’.  This is the context in which I  realize my true, God-given identity.

What a privilege it is to be in this family relationship with God!  I am certainly not worthy of it!  I am sinful after all.  The concept of predestination may be helpful here.  God does not just forgive me, call me a son, then expect me to go on my way forgetting about the relationship that began when I committed myself to Him as my Lord.  An earthly father and son have a relationship with each other, and so it is with the Lord.  The Lord calls me to the identity He has pre-ordained for me - to walk in that together with Him.  This is His heart’s desire, though He is God of the universe!  His predestination for me is a safe and secure pathway.  He will not force me to walk that pathway.  After all, He did not make me to be a robot.  Nevertheless He has already prepared a destiny for me, if I will receive it.  By His power, I can fulfill all that He has planned.

The Lord invites you to make Him the starting point in discovering and fulfilling your destiny.  He made you.  Who else could have a better idea of your purpose and identity?  He calls you and me to walk out our identity in relationship with Him.  This is our calling.  Where do we do this?  Together, where His people are found, in what we call the ‘Body of Christ’.