1. Remember Who You Are
God created man in his image;
in the divine image he created him;
male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27).
Who do you say that you are?
If you are like most people, you will define yourself in these or similar terms:
- the work you do—I am a teacher;
- the spouse you are wedded to—I am Lisa Smith’s husband;
- the children you are raising—I am Rita and Joe’s father;
- the parents who raised you—I am Lou and Ann’s son;
- the teams you are fanatic about—I love the L.S .U. Tigers;
- your ethnic background—I am a Cajun;
- the country in which you live—I am an American;
- the religion to which you belong—I am a Christian.
All these relationships, of course, are part of who you are. But which one of them is most uniquely you? Are you merely a composite of all these relationships? If you were to lose one or two of them, would you still be you? If you were to lose them all, would that destroy your identity?
Who are you, then? If you still do not know, then begin to trust the insight of all the great spiritual teachers who have ever lived. What they say is summarized in the verses from Genesis quoted above.
Put simply, you are a child of God. This does not mean that you are not also someone’s friend, or lover, or a citizen of a certain country. You are all of those, but you are also much more.
Deep within you, in your heart of hearts, there is a spiritual place that only God can touch. He wants very much to live with you in that place, but you must invite him to do so. Like a courteous lover, he will always respect your freedom. If you invite him in, however, you will come to know yourself as a child of God. You will come to define yourself more so in terms of your
relationship with God than in terms of your earthly relationships. You will gaze out at the world as one who is loved by God, and you will come to see other people and all creation in the light of his love.
It won’t always be easy or even fun, but it will be life in truth and reality. What could matter more?
Practical Suggestions
Reserve a few minutes for quiet time. Relax and place yourself in God’s presence. Read Revelation 3:20. Hear Christ knocking on the door to your heart. In your imagination, go to the door and let him in. Engage in loving conversation with him.
Remind yourself several times each day that you really are a child of God. Don’t let anyone or anything convince you otherwise.
