Who Does God Say I Am? | I am Loved and Wanted

Most of us remember our first crush, right? So innocent and fresh, the exciting possibility that someone likes us - you know, in that way! In the busy hallways of our middle school, our bestie and top informant reports to us that indeed, the object of our infatuation just mentioned us. Yippie!

There is something so fulfilling with even just the idea of it, that someone we admire returns that value to us. It produces a big rush of confidence and self-worth. But alas, young love, however thrilling, was usually not sustainable - with the inevitable crash and burn.

Why such a classic epic failure amidst our young life drama? Well of course, we were too young and lacked the emotional know-how to navigate something so new, so complex, and so grown up! Love needs to be mature and measured over time to be successful, and mastering life and love comes with a long learning curve. Those infatuations were just the beginning - play-acting for what was to come.

Mature love is centered in our identity.

We all crave to be "discovered" and admired, esteemed and loved in an authentic way. That continues throughout our lives and certainly extends way past any romantic infatuation. And because of love's essential link to our identity - who we are, the proposition of trading affection and value is frightening. With any close relationship that deepens over time, there remains the threat of looking for an exit when it gets too intense, or just plain hard.

A spiritual comparison - connecting with our Heavenly Father.

Likely our lives after middle school just continue to be a love practice session. It's more of a full time job now, but we certainly aren't experts yet (okay, at least I am not). From those simple beginnings into adulthood, we're hoping to reach our full love-potential. It's the biblical commandment from Jesus to love God, ourselves, and others, and achieve the fruits of the spirit in the process. Love certainly permeates our DNA - physically and more importantly, spiritually. 

So let's circle back around to that middle school crush. Our God really does like us. A lot! So cool! Yes I'm having fun with the comparison here - please join me in this! He is our ultimate admirer. He desperately wants to be in relationship with us. He doesn't want to just date us, he deeply desires a long and healthy relationship.

So not what, but WHO does God say we are (remember identity)? Here's a list from the scriptures. I invite you to read each one - slowly. Let them sink in and consider how each one applies to you. And certainly refer back to them when loving anyone, including yourself, seems so hard. Love is so rewarding!

We Are:

Wonderfully made, Psalm 139:14
Blessed, Ephesians 1:3
Complete, Colossians 2:10
Accepted, Ephesians 1:6
Loved, Jeremiah 31:3
Delightful, Zephaniah 3:17
Forgiven, Ephesians 1:7
Victorious, Philippians 4:13
Beautiful, Psalm 45:11
More than a conqueror, Romans 8:37
Chosen, Colossians 3:12
Holy, Colossians 3:12
Dearly loved, Colossians 3:12
God's handiwork, Ephesians 2:10
Worth fighting for, Exodus 14:14
Set free, Galatians 5:1 and Romans 8:12
Healed, Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Peter 2:24
Worth it, Romans 5:6-8
A new creation, 2 Corinthians 5:17
Royalty, 1 Peter 2:9

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About the Author

Terry is a man in constant motion to explore new horizons. He has a thirst for new places and faces, and a deep love for the natural world - with a weakness for waterfalls and sunsets. All of this venturing out helps to both ground and inspire him, because it opens him up to people, with their vast, collective array of experiences, outlooks and responses.

He finds all of this fascinating and sees that it has encouraged the growth of something crucial in his Christian development: empathy and compassion toward his brothers and sisters on this planet.

In His Image | Who Do You Say That I Am?

If a person in Pittsburg proclaims themself a pirate, it’s generally understood that they are a baseball fan. However, should they announce this association while traveling outside Pennsylvania, there’s bound to be someone in the group who wonders why this person pilfers cruise ships on the weekend.

Normally, labeling can be a very helpful way of keeping things organized. Everything in its place and easy to find. It seems a natural habit to want to put people (ourselves included) into organized, easy to define slots. We adopt labels for ourselves. We apply labels to others. But a person is not so easily defined. And definitions are often multitudinous in their variety. 

With two middle schoolers in my house, the subject of self-identification has been prevalent both directly and subconsciously. The matter of who they are is at once consuming and confusing. Throughout my life I’ve witnessed people drastically change their style of dress, their musical tastes, and who they hang out with all in an attempt to mark themselves as unique individuals and at the same time associate themselves with something recognizable. For many businesses, a distinguished and eye-catching brand is important to stay relevant in the consumers’ minds. Just as important is whether or not the company’s standards are congruent with the public’s view of that brand. Who we wish to be and how we are viewed by others can be two very different things.

The title of “Christian” has meant many things to different cultures throughout several generations since its inception. Many have donned the title “Christian” with the belief that with it would come an immediate understanding of who they were, what their beliefs were, or perhaps why they might be abstaining from some kind of indulgence. Instead of understanding, however, confusion often prevails as the term “Christian” is incorrectly interpreted and in some cases even incorrectly applied.

Due to the misconduct of some who have called themselves Christian, or even due to propaganda put forth by organizations wishing to hurt the name of Christ for their own ends, onlookers may have a very negative view of what a Christian is and they may assume a person happily calling themselves Christian may also happily embody those negative aspects.

A missionary I was once listening to explained that influential powers in the country to which he was ministering had manipulated the people to associate the term “Christian” with the most vile and unmentionable acts. The missionary went on to explain they do not call themselves Christians in that country because the people are completely opposed to interacting with them. Knowing this, the missionaries instead refer to themselves as “followers of Christ” and with that small change the people are often open to learning that a Christian is not at all what they've been led to believe.

Our differing definitions of labels can also be a two-edged sword. Even as Christians, we can apply labels that sadly may inspire us to write certain people off as “Unsavable” or “Unloveable.” Assigning people into these “convenient” slots can be very damaging to all parties involved.

In the Bible, Saul might have been considered “Unsavable” or “Unlovable” by the early Christians, as he persecuted them in violent and deadly ways. It’s an understatement to say Saul’s view of Christians in his time did not coincide with how they would’ve liked to be regarded. Miraculously, Saul’s perspective changed through direct divine intervention and with that change in perspective came a completely new identity (even a change in name) that would be undeniably evident to all who had once known him as Saul. Here God's intervention drastically redefined everyone's definition of the labels adopted and applied.

Does God regard our titles we have applied to ourselves or others?

Some people with great titles once brought a woman before Jesus. These people had a very accusatory label for her indeed. We don't know what Jesus began to write in the sand but we know all too well what Jesus said to these greatly titled men. 

“Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.”

One by one these “prestigious” men walked away from Jesus.

“Where are your accusers?” Jesus asked the woman. “Does no one condemn you?”

“No, my Lord, they have gone.” The woman replied.

“Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.”

Ironically the only person there without sin was not there to throw stones. It might be strange to point this out but even though Jesus rebuked these accusers, he didn't throw stones at them either!

Acts 10:34-35 says “…God shows no partiality.” In the story we see Jesus unaffected by the pharisees’ prestige. He is unaffected by the label they are applying to the woman. He loves all parties involved in this situation regardless of their earthly labels. Instead Jesus was looking at their hearts as it says in 1Samuel 16:7

“…People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

1 Peter 3:3-4 says “Let [your adornment] be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.”

In Matthew 7:16 Jesus warns the disciples about false prophets saying “...So then, you will know them by their fruits.” Obviously not everyone you meet has titled themselves a prophet but I beg the question: What was the fruit these religious leaders were producing in the accusation of the woman they brought before Jesus? It was certainly not a loving fruit. But when the only person there with the right and authority to not only accuse but judge and condemn, does none of these things but instead forgives and wipes the slate clean, that is a most amazing product of love! He didn't regard the woman as a harlot, as she had been labeled. He saw her heart and gave her a label far greater than the one her accusers had applied.

When God looks at our hearts what is He seeing? Matthew 6:21 says “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” What is it you treasure? What fruit do you produce that is seen by those around you? Does that fruit concur with or contradict the misconceptions the world may have about the label you’ve adopted? Likewise, do the labels we apply to others help or inhibit the extension of God’s love through us to people He so values?

Perhaps, when it comes to people, the only truly useful label by which we should define ourselves and others is God’s only label for us. It’s the same label for Saul who persecuted Christians. It’s the same label for the woman thrown at Jesus in disgrace. It’s the same label for the Pharisees who brought her there. It’s the same label for you and everyone you meet:

So Loved.

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About the Author

Christopher has worked as a children’s pastor and youth leader for several years and has published countless humor articles under the pseudonym Professor Popinjay. He studied biblical history and child psychology through Burean University and various other educational institutions. He enjoys writing, art, and the history of invention. He lives with his amazing wife Jessie and their six bizarre children, one of whom is a cat..

The Advent of Revolution | We Get to Choose

I grew up in a church. I believe it was Episcopalian. I remember being fascinated by the ceremony: the standing and singing hymns; the reading for the Book of Common Prayer; the kneeling to pray to God; going to the altar to receive the sacrament of bread and wine.

I also remember often drowsing in my pew and my mother nudging me awake. I remember getting up early on a Sunday and going with just my mother as my brother and father had stopped going to church. Eventually, I convinced my mother that I didn't want to go either and so I stopped and eventually she did, too. This was not out of some sense of despair or betrayal by the church or God, it was simply one less chore or time when I didn't have to get up early.

I realize now that what I lacked was a connection to the church and the parishioners. I was missing the point of Jesus' message: We are all in this together. We can support one another and are invited to do so by God Himself by allowing Jesus into our hearts. Let me say that again: allowing Jesus into our hearts. God, as a loving and caring parent, gives us the choice, as my mom did, to not do things. To not go to church. To not invite Jesus into our heart.

When I met my wife in college, years later, I met a caring, inviting, sweet soul who wanted to share with me her love of Jesus and all the gifts that came with. I chose to attend church with her and take another look at the religion that I had drifted away from in my youth. I went to church and spoke to pastors. I picked up a new bible. I read Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis. I realized that there is a God who loves me and forgives me and invites me to join Him in Heaven. He has sent his Son Jesus to make this invitation personal, and He has sent His Holy Spirit to reside in me and guide me on my journey through this life. And He let me know that His invitation is open: that it is my choice.

My personal revelation (as well as revolution) came upon the realization that God loves me and, like John, I try to embrace that I am "the disciple that Jesus loved." That He has chosen me so that I can now choose Him--that I might learn more from Him and grow in my heart according to His ways and His love toward His people.

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About the Author

Mark lives in Oregon with his lovely wife, Darla and enjoys reading, writing, playing games and working to make the world a better place. He currently serves CitySalt church as a sound engineer and on the church council.