Who Do You Think YOU Are?

Have you ever said or done something that caused someone to ask the question, "just who do think YOU are?"  Or, you are about to do or say something that will likely impact a situation and the voice in your head shouts, "who do you think YOU are?"  Actually, it's a great question!  And, whether you realize it or not, the answer to that question impacts every aspect of your life...

For example, Proverbs 23:7 says that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.  In fact, Jesus said that out of the abundance the heart, the mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45).  So, when someone (or your own head) challenges you with that question, how do you respond?  To be honest, sometimes that question still stops me dead in my tracks.  I mean, who do I really think I am?  Why do I think my words or my actions matter in this world?

I stumbled onto a verse yesterday that made me think about this question in a new light...

I was reading John's account of the last supper.  The author notes that during his last meal on earth with all twelve of his disciples, Jesus knew his time on earth was short.  Then, the author goes on to say that Jesus knew that the Father had given all things into his hands, that he had come from God, and he was going back to God. (John 13:3).  This phrase jumped right off the page!

First, I saw the pure scope of Jesus' authority - "all things had been given into his hands."  Jesus was in control of his destiny.  Next, I saw that the source of Jesus' authority was his relationship with the Father: "he had come from God, and he was going back to God."  In other words, Jesus knew who he was and where he was going.  By recalling his past position with the Father, and being firmly convinced of his future position with the Father, what else was left for Jesus to do but glorify the Father in the present!

We were created to glorify our Heavenly Father in the earth today!  And, we have been given all things pertaining to life and godliness so that we have the capacity to glorify Him. (2 Peter 1:2-4).  However, if we do not know who we are in relationship to Him, we cannot effectively glorify Him.  We need to know - at a heart level - that in Him, we are fully equipped and lacking nothing - that the very fullness of Christ dwells in us! (Colossians 2:10).

So, here's my challenge:  How will YOU respond the next time someone (or that voice in your head) asks, "who do you think YOU are?"  Below is a short list of appropriate responses.  Pick one and silence your critics - even if it's just the one in your head!

I am a child of God.  (John 1:12)
I am chosen and dearly loved.  (Colossians 3:12)
I am God's workmanship. (Ephesians 2:10)
I am a friend of Jesus. (John 15:15)
I am alive with Jesus. (Ephesians 2:5)
I am a citizen of heaven. (Philippians 3:20)
I am seated with Jesus in heavenly realms. (Ephesians 2:6)

I am a dwelling for the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 2:22)

I am hidden with Jesus in God the Father. (Colossians 3:3)

I am in Him. (Ephesians 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:30)

I am forgiven. (Ephesians 1:8; Colossians 1:14)

I am secure. (Ephesians 2:20)

I am salt and light in this world. (Matthew 5:13-14)

I am God's coworker. (2 Corinthians 6:1)

I am not alone. (Hebrews 13:5)

I am delivered. (Colossians 1:13)
I am redeemed from the curse of the law. (Galatians 3:13)
I am qualified to share in His inheritance. (Colossians 1:12)
I am victorious. (1 Corinthians 15:57)
I have purpose. (Ephesians 1:9 & 3:11)
I have hope. (Ephesians 1:12)
I have peace. (Ephesians 2:14)

God Sees You...And That's A Good Thing!

Do you ever feel invisible? As though everyone around you looks past you or through you?  Well, I have some good news for you...  Even when it seems that no one sees you or understands what you are going through, God sees you.  He really sees you - and that's a good thing!

In Genesis 16, we find the story of Hagar - a young Egyptian girl, sold into slavery, far away from her family and friends.  She had little or no control over what happened to her in her life.  Now, her mistress, Sarai, was ordering her to sleep with her husband, Abram, so that she would get pregnant and have a baby for them.  So, Hagar slept with her mistress' husband and became pregnant with a baby.  But, Hagar's relationship with her mistress deteriorated to the point Sarai abused her, and now Hagar found herself on the run in the middle of the desert.

Her situation seemed hopeless.  She was a woman alone in a male dominated culture, pregnant, rejected, cast out after being used, feeling that no one cared about her and no one understood her.

But, in Genesis 16:7, the Angel of the Lord found Hagar by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on her way to Shur.  Then, the angel spoke to her saying, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?"

First, it is important to note that the Angel of the Lord found Hagar.  You don't find someone unless you are looking for them.  So, here we see the Angel of the Lord went looking for Hagar.  It is also interesting to note that word "Shur" means "wall."  So, in a way, you could say that when the Angel of the Lord found Hagar, she had her back against the wall.  Finally, the Angel of the Lord, called Hagar by name.  If you read Genesis 16 in its entirety, you will notice that neither Sarai nor Abram ever referred to Hagar by name.  But, when God spoke to Hagar, He called her by name, which speaks to her significance and value to Him.  He didn't ask her where she was from and where she was going because He needed information.  Rather, His questions are an acknowledgement of Hagar's situation, her pain, her desperation, and her hopelessness...

Hagar response to the Angel of the Lord is brutally honest:  "I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai."  The Angel of the Lord responds to her honesty by telling Hagar what she does not want to hear:  "Return to your mistress and submit to her."  But, He doesn't stop there - He promises Hagar a future for her unborn son.

In response to God's promise, Hagar does something that no one else in recorded history has done - she named God!  In Genesis 16:13, she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, "You are the God who sees me - El Roi."  I find it interesting that the Hebrew word here for "sees" does not refer to one who is like a spectator at a parade, but speaks of one who looks carefully and observes details; one who looks with interest and for a purpose.  Ours is a God who looks at us and sees the details of our lives and is moved with compassion.  Yet, although He sees our circumstances and is touched by their effect on our lives, He sees our future.  And it is a future full of hope and purpose.

In essence, God told Hagar that although her circumstances would not necessarily change (i.e., she would have to return to Sarai and submit to her), Hagar could be confident that God sees her and He has a purpose for her life; indeed, her future would be blessed.

So, when you are blinded by the storms of life, and overwhelmed by darkness, and you cannot see God, remember this:  He sees you.  He knows where you are; He knows what you are going through; He knows what you need.  God sees you and that is a very good thing!

Designed to be Led by Love...

"Do not allow your life to be dictated by your natural circumstances. In other words, don't be led by pain."  ~ Tom Tompkins

When I read this quote this morning, God got my attention...

As human beings living in a fallen world, pain is inevitable.   It may be physical pain from an illness or injury or the emotional pain of a broken relationship.  Either way, pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience, and it is ALWAYS a reaction to some external stimulus.

For example, you stub your little toe on the metal bed frame - you experience physical pain.  Angry words exchanged between you and your spouse or a close friend - you experience emotional pain.  However, pain is not inherently a bad thing.  Pain actually motivates us to withdraw from a potentially dangerous situation, protect a damaged part of the body while it heals, and avoid similar situations in the future.  But when we allow pain to be our guide, instead of the Holy Spirit, we are headed for trouble.

In Psalm 32:9, we are instructed to not to be like the horse or mule, which have no understanding and which must be harnessed with bit and bridle or else they cannot be led.  As many of you many may know, a bit goes into a horse's mouth and rests on the sensitive space between its teeth.  Thus, when you pull on the bit, it causes pain and the horse respond to that pain by moving in the direction of the pain.  Thus, horses and mules are led by pain.

People can also find themselves being led by pain, as well.  This is especially true when we allow the pain that we have experienced in life to dictate our decisions and our life's direction.  This morning, I found myself in just such a situation...

A little over a month ago, I had a falling out with a very close friend.  The angry words spoken by my friend still echo in my heart.  In fact, I still can't talk about what happened without crying.  But this morning, God got my attention!  Through Psalm 32:9, God showed me that I was allowing the pain from this broken relationship to lead me where I did not want to go - destination depression.

So, I took a deeper look at Psalm 32.  In verses 7, the psalmist sings:  "You are my hiding place; You protect me from trouble.  You surround me with songs of victory."  And, in verse 8, God responds, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.  I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you."  Through these verses I saw how instead of running to Him and hiding my heart in His, I was hiding in my pain.  Instead of trusting Him to protect my heart, I decided not let anyone get that close to me again.  The end result:  I was being led by my pain.

Our heavenly Father did not design us to be led by pain, but rather by His love.  Pain will always lead us where we do not want to go, but His love will always lead us back to Him.  Remember, we were designed to be led by love!

God is Not in the Wind...

As everyone is aware, the tornado outbreak last week across the southern United States was one of the worst to ever occur in this country.  At least 342 people were killed and hundreds more hurt from Mississippi to Virginia - and Georgia was not immune to such tragedy. Today, I spent several hours in Griffin, Georgia helping with the clean-up and putting together bag lunches for those who lost everything. Seeing it on television and in photographs does not prepare you for the enormity of the devastation... Walking the streets, cleaning up yards, and talking with those who somehow survived in ditches and in homes where only a small closet and toilet remain standing on the concrete slab, brings it home.   

Following such disasters, it's natural to try and explain why such tragedies happen. However, blaming God is not the answer.  For example, I've lost count of the number of times I've heard these tornadoes described as "the finger of God."  This is just wrong on many levels!  So, as I was thinking about what I saw and what I've heard, the Lord brought to my mind Elijah. 

In I Kings 19:11-12, Elijah was hiding in a cave feeling a bit sorry for himself when he encountered the Lord.  "And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.  And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire...." God did not cause the tornadoes that killed 342 people and injured so many others.  Jesus clearly told His disciples that the thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy, but His purpose is to give use a full and satisfying life. (Jn 10:10)

These tornadoes were not the judgment of God.  Jesus fully satisfied God's wrath on the cross.  For God, in Christ, reconciled the world to himself no longer counting people's sins against them. (I Cor 5:19).  For He himself  (Jesus) is the sacrifice for our sins - and not only for our sins, but the sins of all the world. (I Jn 2:2).


Tornadoes, earthquakes, and other natural disasters occur because we live in a fallen world, and man is the one who allowed sin to enter this world - not God.  In times such as these, we should not blame Him for what has happened, but rather turn to Him.  God is good.  His love for us endures forever, and His mercies are new every morning.

Despite having lost everything but the clothes on their backs, Avada proclaimed the goodness of God and His love.