Who are you?

 Our world is in an identity crisis. People are calling themselves what they want to be instead of what God created them to be. There's no wonder there's a lot of confusion in defining who is who. We're going by what we think it should be with our limited,  finite minds and mistaken definitions instead of going by what God has designed and defined for every human being. From the beginning God made us male and female (Genesis 5:2). Not only that, He created each one of us with a purpose. Paul says in Ephesians 2:10: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them". That word "workmanship" comes from the Greek word poeima. That's where we get the word poem in English. In other words, God wrote a poem of each one our lives to show it to this world through our "good works" that He had prepared for us since before the foundation of this world. How is that as a definition of who we really are and whom we belong to? We are a living walking poem written by the very  hand of God. How do you like that as a true definition of our own identity?

In the Gospel of John, in chapter 1, we see a man who knew who he wasn't, who knew who he was, who knew why he came to this earth for and who knew whom he belonged to. This man was none other than John the Baptist. Let's see what the apostle John says about him in John 1:19-23: "This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites to him from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” And he confessed and did not deny; and this is what he confessed: “I am not the Christ.” And so they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he *said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you? Tell us, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one calling out in the wilderness, ‘Make the way of the Lord straight,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.” John knew who he wasn't! ' I am not the Christ" he says. What a formidable and humble attitude of John the Baptist to not get a big head and usurp the place that only belonged to His Lord. He truly knew who he wasn't. The priests and the Levites kept throwing questions at him about who he was, but his rock solid integrity wouldn't let him to even try to make himself someone he was not. He responded every single question with a resounding no. I believe it's important to know who we are not. We cannot pretend to be someone else. In the end, that can only bring sorrow and devastation. Also, it could give us a sense of knowing we have wasted our time trying to be someone we were not meant to be. Someone who wasn't in God's original plan and design.

After being frustrated with his "no" answers, the priests and Levites asked him: "who are you?". John answered splendidly by quoating the prophet Isaiah: "I am the voice of one calling out in the wilderness". He was the forerunner of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was a voice! His job was to preach the kingdom of God and calling people to repentance. " it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers back to their children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”(Luke 1:17) What is your voice? What is your job? Do you really know who you really are in Christ Jesus or are you going to continue to be lied to by this world? Are you going to let the world define you? John didn't let the world define him. He let God do that job. Not only he knew who he was but he also knew what his purpose was. His purpose was to prepare the way of the Lord through his preaching. He was to make people ready for Jesus for he says: "behold, this is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world". He was very aware he wasn't the Savior of this world but was really aware of who Jesus was. Do you know you have a purpose on this world? Do you know you were made by God for a very specific task? If you still don't know it, keep praying for He is a God who listens. I'm confident that, at some point in your life, you'll find that sweet spot, polished and carefully prepared by God.

Finally, John, knew exactly whom he belonged to. Look at his humble remarks about Jesus. "It is He who comes after me, of whom I am not worthy even to untie the strap of His sandal.”After me is coming a Man who has proved to be my superior, because He existed before me.’(John 1:27,30). John's humility shows he was not above Jesus and that Jesus Himself was His superior. The reason for Jesus being superior than Him is quite outstanding! He says: "He's superior because He existed before me". Isn't that amazing? John is declaring Jesus deity by that statement. Jesus is God. Remember John was six months older than Jesus (Luke 1:5-26) and saying that He existed before him was quite remarkable. He was acknowledging Jesus was the God who created the heavens and the earth in the beginning. (Genesis 1). There's no doubt John knew who he belonged to.

Who are you? Who defines you? My friend, it's hard to live in this world. We are bombarded by all kind of things that are going to attempt to modify what God has already predetermined, ordained and defined for your life. Don't let this world bring you down to its standards. Let God build you up to His and you can only find that in His precious, sweet, double edged sword, His  Word. Let God and His Word tell you who you are and flee from the world's erroneous definitions about yourself. Who are you again? You are His and if you're not, come to Him. He will give you the most accurate definition of who you are. He made you in His own image! He makes no mistakes! Be blessed.