Who are you?
Do you know?
For a time after I resigned my commission in the Army, I wasn’t so sure. Every now and then shadows of doubt still creep in.
Growing up, all I wanted to be was a Soldier who served her country honorably. With that behind me, it was hard to figure out who I was.
I will admit it. After deploying for Operation Iraqi Freedom, being an Army wife and a stay-at-home Mom sometimes felt insignificant. I know there may nothing more meaningful than supporting my husband and raising the next generation, but feelings can devastate a girl.
I have often wondered who I was.
Daughter, sister, wife, mother, friend, American?
Veteran, Army Wife, boy-mom, writer, crafter?
Some might say I’m kind, wise, sensitive, passionate, or dedicated.
A mutual friend helping us find each other for the first time in a crowded room might describe me as nearly 40, slightly on the soft side, five foot six inch woman with starting-to-gray reddish-brown hair.
All of these things are true, but they don’t completely answer the question of who I am. None are adequate because they are conditional, temporary, often skin deep observations or opinions. They are characteristics, descriptions, experiences and relationships that may transform over time.
I want more. In fact, God designed us to desire more.
Our hearts ache to know the soul-deep, eternal, Bible-based truth about who our Creator says we are.
Who I am depends on who I say Jesus is.
Jesus asked the apostles who they thought He was. Peter answered for the group. He said, “You are the Christ (Mark 8:29).” Being the Christ had eternal repercussions for all His followers, the pharisees and sadducees, any Jew who spent time studying the scriptures, and every Christian to date. We are all familiar with just what this claim means.
After Peter’s confirmation of Christ’s deity, Jesus makes it clear that this was a revelation from the Father (Matthew 16:17). Believing and confessing the truth about who Jesus is can only come through the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3b).
When we believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths the truth about Jesus, we are saved (Romans 10:9-10). Jesus reassures us further by saying, “whoever confesses me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God (Luke 12:8).”
Trusting Him as our Savior, reveals to us who we truly are.
Our confession defines our eternal identity.
So, who am I?
I’ll give you my favorite answer.
I am God’s MASTERPIECE. (Ephesians 2:10, New Living Translation)
I want you to have a little fun today. Look up one or all of the following verses. Bible Hub is a great resource for quickly researching multiple translations. Read several versions to find the one most meaningful to you.
Romans 15:7 Psalm 107:2
1 Corinthians 12:27 2 Corinthians 5:17
Ephesians 1:5 Galatians 5:1
Psalm 139:14 John 15:15
Philippians 3:20 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
John 1:12 1 John 3:1-2
Jeremiah 1:5 2 Corinthians 5:17
Ephesians 4:24
Comment on this post with your favorite. Then, you will be entered to win a pair of one-of-a-kind, My Messy Desk, hand-made earrings crafted using Bead For Life beads.
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Dear Heavenly Father, I praise You for creating me in your image and for sacrificing Your Son so that I might find my true identity in Him. Forgive me when I place too much emphasis on my temporal characteristics, descriptions, and accomplishments. Reassure me with the knowledge that my identity in Christ is eternal and I cannot lose it. In Jesus name, Amen.
Join me on Suzie Eller’s blog today with some amazing women discussing this question - Who are you? #livefree
Linking up with Susan B. Mead, Faith Filled Friday, Grace & Truth, and Still Saturday.
II Co. 5:17 is a favorite for me, and a favorite to teach to the kids in my Sunday School. I love to let them know that they can start over. The old is gone; the new has come. If they grow up knowing and believing that God will forgive and renew, I’m trusting that it will result in less baggage being carried forward!
And, I honor your patriotism and commitment to service!
Blessings!
Thanks, Michele! Starting over all the time, here!
Galatians 5:1
Amen!
From that batch, Psalm 139:14 is my favorite.
The gratitude and wonder for our own existence, in celebration of God’s power, greatness, masterfulness, wisdom and graciousness, and the assurance that our creational relationship with Him is real and everlasting- although we, in our limited human capacity, may cannot fully understand why or how.
I think it’s the perfect verse about praise and contemplation.
Now, how do I subscribe to your musings? :-}
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Thanks 😉
God’s masterpiece, indeed! Beautiful post! #livefreeThursday
I love Psalms 139. “God’s Complete Knowledge and Care.”
Love this and of course perfect timing! I have definitely gone through the same transitional questions after the military and now as a wife, mom and homeschool teacher. There are days since our recent move that I have been frustrated, thinking “this isn’t what God called me to do or who I’m supposed to be!!” Often those days (or weeks) have come when I’m looking too far ahead or envisioning the plans I want instead of basking in the blessings of what He has done for me in both the eternal and temporal senses!!
I think 2 Corinthians 5:17 would be my favorite among these…certainly not that I am always living in a manner that reflects that, however. Humbly, I am reminded that my Heavenly Father created me in His image and through Jesus Christ I have been re-created!! I am NOT who I was before I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart in the desert, I am NOT the uniform hung in the closet, the former titles, or any of the hobbies, interests or affiliations I associate with. I AM thankfully, a new creation…reborn in Jesus, through Jesus and for Jesus. And, I am forever grateful for the nights He wakes me and leads me to exactly what I needed to hear!!
Thank you, Liz for sharing His message!! Love you and miss you!
Oh, Ann Marie! Remembering what He has already done brings contentment with who He created us to be. Never ever has His plans for me been anything short of perfect…when will i learn to trust Him unconditionally?
I am a new creation in Christ! That’s my favorite in answer : )
Love this post, thanks for sharing so honestly and openly, and also for pointing right to the One who knows and matters most! Great to meet you! Blessings@ #DancewithJesus
Yes, you are Bethany! New every morning. Thanks for stopping by! Have a blessed day!
I like Romans 15:7 because it is so simple. It says I am acceptable. I am worthy of being accepted. Christ accepted me, and so should you. Just as I am. And I should do the same for others. Beautiful post today, dear. Seasons of transition are always difficult, when we are saying goodbye to one thing and not yet sure how to define the next. That’s why I always prefer to focus on what God has to say about me rather than how the world chooses to define me. One is infinite and one is finite, I choose the infinite!
Always choose the infinite! But sometimes the finite is so much easier to see and define…
Thanks for stopping by, Sarah!
Hi, Liz! 🙂 I’m stopping by from the Grace and Truth linkup last week. We are in the middle of a big transition in our home, and yes - it’s hard! But I’m thankful for the hope of finding myself, my true self, in the nature of God. Thanks for sharing with us!
Jen @ Being Confident of This
Yes Jen! The one thing we can always be confident of is Him!