“Who are you?” - one of the most common questions in life. Well, I’m Alex Walker, but is that a good enough response? When we were younger and asked “Who are you” our name alone would suffice. But as we grow and transition from childhood to adulthood, the question grows more urgent. Who am I? is now, I am a son, a daughter, a friend, a student, a nurse, a lawyer, a social worker, a teacher, a Christian, a Seventh-day Adventist, I am God-fearing, friendly, not so friendly, and anything else that we identify with.
Growing up, I hated my name! I hated the idea of it because persons made me feel as though ALEX is merely masculine, and I was embarrassed. Especially in settings when I'd see a guy or two that I liked, and for them to hear my name is Alex, ugh! I cringed; so much so that when I became a Seventh Day Adventist, I remembered going on my first camp, and when signing up the camp form I didn’t put ALEX as my first name, I put ALEXA, because that was supposed to be my real name anyway, and I’m sort of in a new environment, and although they’d have my correct name in their records, I did not care. Most people know me as Chynna, which is my alias, and only on a need-to-know basis would my correct name be necessary. So, I put ALEXA and I remembered using that name for a day or so. I remembered the afternoon we were being placed in units and I heard them announce “Alexa Walker”, I felt sooooooooo weird! And on top of that, I felt like I was lying not only to others, but to myself about who I am, and truly I was. There was this heavy guilt sitting on my stomach and I just couldn’t anymore. When I finally accepted my name for what it is I developed a very heavy confidence in who I am, and you know, I thought, I am who God says I am. If He allowed these people to mess up my name at the hospital by not adding the “a” on the Alex, and my mom to not follow up and correct it, it must be for a reason, and I believe everything happens for a reason. Who or what do you identify with today? What makes you, you? Are you lying about who you are to fit in, to feel socially accepted by your peers, or loved ones? Has the devil been whispering in your ears? Are you holding a belief about who you think you should be? We've all been there, but I am here to remind you today that you are ONLY who God says you are, and there’s no escaping that.
The Gospel of Luke, specifically chapter 8:26 – 30 tells the story of a man who was demon-possessed:
“26 Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, (Gadareeens) which is opposite Galilee. 27 And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!” 29 For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.
Here we see a man who was struggling among other things with a severe identity crisis. In verse 30: “Jesus asked him, saying, ‘What is your name?’ And he said, ‘Legion,’ because many demons had entered him.” Here we see where he was confused about the basic element of identity, his name. He no longer identified with who he truly was, and although this man wasn’t in his right frame of mind or body, who he thought of himself, or identified with caused him to act accordingly. This tells us that how we esteem ourselves and whatever we identify with has the power to affect the way we live, the way we act, how we speak, and pretty much every aspect of our life. But you see, what I love about this story is that even in his state of misery and not being able to identify who he truly was, the moment he came in contact with Jesus (verse 38-39), he was transformed, he could reclaim His identity; he was now who God says he is.
Friends, no matter how broken you are, how damaged you feel; no matter what demons you may be fighting for years, or how people think of you; no matter what you have done in your past, once you come in contact with Jesus Christ you can be forgiven, you can be healed, and you can be transformed.
We all forget who we are from time to time for whatever reason, but some days you have to step back and remind yourself that you are not your situations, not your circumstances, not what you have been through, and not what the devil tries to tell you. You are who God says you are. Do you know who God says you are? Let me remind you:
You are a Royal Priesthood
1 Peter 2:9 reminds of this: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light.”
You are fearfully and wonderfully made
Psalm 139: 13 – 14 reminds us of this: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well.”
You are more than a conqueror
Romans 8: 37 reminds us of this: “Nay, in all these things we are more than conqueror through him who loved us.”
You are a child of the King
Galatians 3:26 tells us: “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus”
The last time I checked, God's words are true and He doesn’t lie. If my bible tells me that I am fearfully and wonderfully made, or that I am a royal priesthood created in the image of God, or that I am more than a conqueror, why would I believe otherwise? We have to understand that this is what the devil does. He tries to trick us into believing we are everything other than who God truly says we are. We must understand that his intentions are not pure, and he has one duty that I like to call “double D”, to deceive and destroy. He means us no well, and he will try to make us feel less than in any way possible. For some, he will point to your past, mistakes, failed relationships, dishonourable acts, regrettable decisions; he will try to use abuse, rejection, and whatever he can find as a basis for his definition. If we don’t know and believe by faith that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses all sins, we can get easily ensnared by his lies. I want you to declare with all boldness that you are not defined by what others say you are, your past, or your mistakes; YOU ARE WHO GOD SAYS YOU ARE. God’s promises are sure and true, his words are powerful, and we can find confidence in them. I know it can be hard sometimes, but push yourself! You are God’s most valued possession. You are special. You are the apple of His eye. You carry great value and significance. Don’t ever lose sight of the treasure He’s placed within you. Remember, you are handpicked by Him. Claim your identity in God. Here’s how:
Spend time in the Word of God
You cannot believe something about yourself from the mouth of someone who has no idea how you were formed. Anything you believe about who you are must be in alignment with the One who made you, for it is written, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart…”. But, how will you know what is said about you if you don’t spend time in the Word? Often times when we are struggling, discouraged, or stressed, we seek comfort, reassurance, and hope, and where else to seek it than in the Word? When we take time to read God’s Word, a book written just for us, we’re reminded of who God is, what He says about us, the love He has for us, and the joy only He can provide. But we must read it. We must spend time in His presence, in His word.
Understand Who God Is
How do you understand someone if you don’t take the time out to get to know them? Pause and reflect on that. When we understand those we care about it helps us to better relate to them, right? It helps us to trust them, right? When we spend time in the Word, we begin to understand who God is, we grasp the concept of His character, and we understand that God is true and He is honest, and if He says we are ___, that’s what we must believe, and only question everything else outside of that. For instance, I am reminded in the Bible that I am God’s child (Galatians 3:26) and that I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). “Weh ugly and nuh look good a guh?”. I’m sure nowhere in between “fearfully and wonderfully made” lies “ugly and nuh look good”. So, you see, whenever negative thoughts surface, or someone tries to make you feel other than who God says you are, “reason out d ting, and mek it mek sense”. I don’t know about you, but I would very much rather believe in what and who God says I am, than some lie from the devil.
Trust God
When we understand God, we begin to trust Him and His words, in spite of. Proverbs 3:5 encourages us to trust in the Lord with ALL of our hearts, and lean NOT to our own understanding. God knows that we would at some point rely on our emotions and feelings to determine our trust in ourselves and even in Him, but we must learn to not allow our emotions to determine who God is. Our feelings are not God. God is GOD even when we feel sad, angry, or frustrated, and His words are true throughout those times too, not only when “wi nice”. God’s feelings about us doesn’t change because our feelings about ourselves or Him changes. Trust in the One who doesn’t lie.
Rely on God
Have you ever had someone in your life you know you can count on no matter what? That’s God. When you begin to trust Him, you get to know Him enough to know that you can count on Him, ALWAYS. When we rely on God, we learn to silence every other force of the enemy because we know who He is and what He says. The truth is, the more we learn about God’s character, the easier this becomes. Get to know Him so you can rely on Him and His promises.
Believe God’s words
If you spend time in your bible, or read it at all, I’m sure you’ve come across texts that tells you that God is just, true, merciful, kind, caring, longsuffering; He is completely good and pure. Believing God is all that and more helps us to believe in His words, and what He has said about us. Question, what is your impression of God? do you think God is a liar? I know He isn’t a liar, based on my experiences with Him and especially because it isn’t in His might to, and because I believe that, it is impossible to believe anything other than His words about me and my life. If someone says or thinks poorly of me, you know whose concern it isn’t? Mine, because if they’ve met God or come to know him at least, they’ll know it isn’t in His might to make someone poorly. My bible tells me that I was created in the image of God; it also tells me I am fearfully and wonderfully made, and that’s what I'll believe, ALWAYS. You should too.
Guard your mind
What do you spend most of your time focusing on? There’s a famous quote that says, “Don’t feed your mind with negative thoughts. If you do, you will come to believe them”. Undeniably, what we feed our minds shapes our perceptions, and our perceptions shape our reality. It is imperative that we surround ourselves with inspiration. When we surround ourselves with inspiration, by way of people, books, and even music, we are motivated to think positively, to become better individuals, and to have a change of perspective. Subsequently, improving our well-being and overall quality of life. The wise man Solomon once said, “Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it spring the issues of life.”, Proverbs 4:23. I think we can apply it to our minds as well. Your mind will always believe what you tell it, feed it with the promises of God, feed it hope, feed it truth, and feed it love.
So my friend, the next time the devil reminds you of a past that you have been forgiven of, or the next time a negative thought tries to define you, you reply “For it is written” that “I am fearfully and wonderfully made”, “I am God’s masterpiece”, “I am more than a conqueror” “I was created in the image of God”, so that means I am S-P-E-C-I-A-L. When the enemy challenges your identity, challenge him with the word of God. Spend time in prayer, spend time in the presence of God and affirm who you are. Pick up your crown, and remember you are daughters and sons of the One who reigns high, the One sovereign, true God. Walk purposefully as though you know who you belong to!
…and don’t you dare forget again!
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