Who am I?

“If I were to describe myself today, I would say that I’m a loved and forgiven child of God.  You are too!”  That’s how I see myself most of the time. 

There are times, however. when I just see myself as old, broken, lazy, - oh so many things that are unattractive.  That’s one of the reasons I chose this topic.  It’s no fun to look in the mirror and see something you don’t like. 

So let’s look at who we Really are – what we could really see, if that mirror told the honest truth.  The first thing is that I’m an amazing creation from the mind of God!

Genesis 1:27  tells us that ". . .God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."  and then Psalm 139:13-14 talks about how we were created.  "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb."  and I love this part where the Psalmist is excited about God's work - "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Wow!  Now if I were to see me in the mirror like God’s word describes me – I’d sure end up smiling in that mirror.

Also - I’m a part of Christ’s body and He lives in me. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul says, "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.  And in Galatians 2, He says that, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

This next description is exciting – I’m not just my body.  I'm a soul, meant for heaven - for everlasting life.   As it says in John 5, "Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life."  and 2 Peter 1:10-12 tells us that “if we follow Christ’s example” we will  " . . .  receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

 
John 1:11-13
"He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God." 
Romans 8:17, "Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."
 
Wow!
So we’re God’s creation, a living soul.  And if we follow Christ, we are part of His body and a person who is destined for eternal life

Many times we define who we are, by who our parents were.  How about you?  When asked about myself, I might say, “I was raised by god-fearing parents”  Or I might say something else about my family.  But the truth is

I’m a child of the King! 

We should be happy with the “me” God made, because remember, He is the one who formed us.  The personality, the looks and the physical abilities that God gave you are just part of the “me” we need to be happy with.  God also want's to fill us with good things like Peace.  He told His disciples when he was leaving them.  "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you."  God's peace - not the world's.  

Of course there are things inside our hearts that aren’t “God given” in us – God calls that sin.  But we always need to remember that Christ died to pay for that sin. 

Romans 5:8 tells us, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Please know that sin is what we’ve done, not - who we are, because we are children of the Most High God - His sons and daughters.  We are his creation.  We are part of His body and we are souls meant for eternity. 

So God gives to us, eternal life, sonship, a body, soul and spirit  – but he also takes from us – our past, today's pressure, and our sin.  I love the picture that we read of in Micah 7:19 

Speaking to God, he says, "You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea."

Amazing - God will tread our sins underfoot and throw them in to the deep sea.  He takes away our past transgressions.

That’s what He saved me from. – my past, the pressure of this life, and the price of my sins, and He gives me peace.. 

What does he draw me to?

Himself!

Who Am I?

It’s so hard to see the picture that the one who made me saw,

while fashioning my features in His mind.

It’s so hard to see His plans for me, His perfect will displayed

when I look in memory’s mirror,

and I find -.

a messy tarnished drawing that is filling up the space,

as sin’s dark, blotted shadows aim to cover up my face

and show to me a likeness of the sinful human race.

The image there can’t show God’s love,

and it overlooks His grace.

But I have a new and heavenly mirror

‘cause God paid sin’s penalty

And as I look into that glass

a different view I see.

The dark and blotted shadows

have been cast into the sea.

And in that glass I find that

Love

has taken them from me.

Now I faintly see the picture

that the one who made me saw

as He fashioned my own features in His mind.

I faintly see His plans for me. His perfect will I read

when I look into the love He left behind.

Diane Gruchow Feb 2014

All bible quotes either KJV or NIV