Who Are You?

In Greg Ogden’s book Discipleship Essentials, he shares the story of how German Philosopher Immanuel Kant enjoyed meditating and thinking during long summer evening walks.  On one of those walks, Kant stopped and sat in a park thinking for several hours.

A policeman noticed Kant and asked what he was doing for all that time.  Kant replied that he was thinking.  The policeman then asked, “Who are you?”. 

Kant’s reply was, “that’s precisely the problem I’ve been thinking about.”

How would you answer if someone asked who you are? 

Would your answer depend on your mood or what you felt like you had accomplished that day?  Would you immediately answer negatively about yourself because you really believe negative things about yourself?  Would you answer negatively in an effort to be humble?  Would you answer negatively to try to make the person asking you feel better about themselves?

Who are you if you are a believer in Jesus Christ?

·      You are gifted (1 Corinthians 12)

·      You are filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2.  Acts 4.  Galatians 5:16)

·      You are a person given everything you need for a godly life (2 Peter 1:3)

·      You are a child of the King (2 Corinthians 6:18)

·      You are forgiven (1 John 1:9)

·      You are God’s masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10)

It is important to know who you are because Proverbs 23:7 says that as a person thinks in their heart, they are.

Seminary professor and author D.A. Carson said it this way…“You’re not what you think you are, what you think, you are.”  D.A. Carson Ted Talk

It is not more spiritual to beat yourself up or to demean yourself.  It is not being admirably humble to forget who you are you in Christ – or whose you are in Christ.  And we definitely don’t enhance our view of God by diminishing our view of ourselves.

Instead, trust in what the One who knew you and formed you in the womb says about who you are.