If you had to identify who you are in one short sentence what would you say?

In a world that places a great deal of significance on status and power, it is tempting to think that your true identity is written on your business card.

I remember at the beginning of my career I was told to “dress for success”.  So I invested in buying good quality clothes. One day a man in my office said to me “you look pretty in that dress.” I was not happy that he was telling me  “you look pretty.” I am telling you the truth, I never wore that dress again to work because it conflicted with a professional identity that I was trying to project. I wanted to be seen as serious and competent not “pretty”.

As I grew in my career I had a boss/mentor who told me I had executive potential.  So I began to consider that I should try to break through the “glass ceiling” and try to get to the executive suite in a large corporation that was largely dominated by men. While all of this was happening, God was quietly watching me and waiting for me to turn to Him for advice.  For a long time I thought I had my “life plan” figured out, in fact I had no idea that God had a plan for me.

Eventually I turned to God for help as “my plan” was not resulting in me feeling fulfilled. I was searching for purpose and meaning and it was not until I began praying and learning the Scriptures that I understood that my true identity was not about my career or my position in a corporation or even about my role as wife and mother, it was first and foremost about Jesus and my relationship with Him.

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:10

We are all precious to God, His very own special possession, and God has a plan for each of us, but if we don’t take time to pray to God for guidance we may never discover our true identity.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

So if I had to answer the question “Who am I?”

This is how I would answer:

I am God’s! I am a disciple of Jesus and everything I do, I do for HIM!

I don’t think any of us can discover our true identity until we realize that our true identity is that we are in a sacred relationship with God. We are pilgrims travelling to our final resting place, Heaven. This life is a testing ground, it is the place where we are slowly and careful perfected into God’s special possession. We are His creatures and we were created to give God glory, yet we cannot fulfill this divine mission until we understand our true identity as part of God’s creation and discover God’s unique plan for us.

What kind of relationship do you have with God?

Understanding that we belong to God is the starting point of a relationship with God defined by His Will and sustained by His Grace.

God wants to teach us and guide us and help us to understand sacred truths that people focused on a superficial material existence will never discover:

“This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it–the LORD is his name: Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’” Jeremiah 33:1-2

At the beginning of my spiritual journey I felt like I had to “unlearn” many things before God could teach me the things that were important to Him. God challenges what we commonly refer to as “conventional wisdom” i.e., the body of ideas that the general public deems to be true. For example, society tends to see powerful people as people with access to resources and influence, yet God sees differently.

If we are truly God’s people we will understand that God is all powerful (omnipotent) and that believing in Him and trusting in Him and serving Him is the source of our power. We do not derive power from money or status but from God’s grace enabling us to do whatever He wills for us to do.

“But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:24

Society puts honourable titles on people, e.g., politicians, priests, judges. We call them honourable members of parliament, Your Grace, Your Honour…but they may or may not be truly honourable. We are only truly honourable if we are serving God and satisfying Him.

Is a politician who is justifying a law to legalize abortion honourable? Is a priest who has abused a child still worthy of being considered honourable? Is a judge who has taken a bribe honourable?

My answer to all these question is NO!

This is how Jesus defines honour:

“Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” John 12:26

I encourage you to stand with Christians all over the world every day at 3pm (the time Jesus died for us) honouring our Holy Lord who suffered and died for us so that we can one day be with Him in Paradise. Learn more about A Peaceful Revolution in the Name of Jesus Christ and let the love of Jesus penetrate your heart and change your life.