Who Am I?

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

"Who are you?" It sounds like a simple question requiring a simple answer, but is it, really? For example, if someone asked me, "Who are you?" I might answer, "Rick Hill."

"No, that's your name. Who are you?"

"I'm an American."

"No, that's where you live."

I could also say that I'm six feet one inches tall and a little over 200 pounds—actually quite a little over 200 pounds! But my physical dimensions and appearance isn’t me either. If I lost an arm and leg, would I still be me? Yes. If I had a transplanted heart, kidney or liver, would I still be me? Of course! Who I am is far more than what you see on the outside.

We tend to identify each other and ourselves primarily by physical appearance (tall, short, stocky, slender) or by what we do (student, carpenter, nurse, teacher, baby sitter). Furthermore, when asked to identify ourselves in relation to our faith, we usually talk about our doctrinal position (Protestant, evangelical, Calvinist, Mormon, charismatic), our denominational preference (Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, Independent), or our role in the church (Sunday school teacher, choir member, elder, usher).

Is who we are determined by what we do, or is what we do determined by who we are? That's an important question, especially as it relates to Christian maturity. I subscribe to the latter. I believe wholeheartedly that our hope for growth, meaning, and fulfillment as a Christian is based on understanding who we are—specifically our identity in Christ as a child of God. Our understanding of who we are in Christ will greatly determine how we live our lives.

You are complete in Christ. You need not place any confidence in fleshly attributes in order to impress others or yourself. You are a child of God!