Who are you?

When someone asks you are, what you do? What do you say?

Are you like me and reply, "a wife and mother, a full-time student." A description of your key roles in life, your job?

I was struck last night after reading closely the first sentence of Romans with my husband how Paul describes himself quite differently:

"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus" - Romans 1:1 and Philippians 1:1
"Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God" - 1 Corinthians 1:1
"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God" - 2 Corinthians 1:1, Ephesians 1:1 and Colossians 1:1
"Paul, an apostle - sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father" - Galatians 1:1
"Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Saviour and of Christ Jesus our hope" - 1 Timothy 1:1
"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus" - 2 Timothy 1:1
"Paul a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ" - Titus 1:1
"Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus" - Philemon 1:1

His very identity is centred in God!

Paul does not centre his identity on his role in the church - his job, among his friends, or in his family, he centres it on the One who gives his life its very meaning!

So often we forget who we are in God, we focus instead on the things we have to do, the roles we must play, we is relying on us for something. We forget that He calls us His children, His friends.

"For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children." - Romans 8:14-16

"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." - John 15:15

You are a child of God! You are the son or daughter of the King of Kings! He who was one with God, He has called you friend!

Shouldn't that far surpass the job we hold? Shouldn't that totally eclipse all other identifiers we use in our attempts to describe just who it is we are?

When we ground our identity in Him we can base ourselves and our perceptions of ourselves in who He says we are, not who the world says we are. The son of the King has much more power in the world than a nobody peasant. The heir to the throne (you! - Romans 8:17) has more freedom to come and go than the cobbler's apprentice. Freedom and power to act out his father's wishes.

So claim your identity as He says you are. Accept the freedom that comes with it, the power He provides for our lives.


Will you accept His identity for you today? Will you ground yourself in His percception of you, not the world's?