Being Who We Are

We humans really are funny creatures. I can’t think of any other creature who tries to be something other than what he is. I don’t see a hyena trying to be a lion, or a fish trying to be a bird. I don’t see leopards trying to change their spots. No, to attempt to be other than who we are is a particularly human foible. We have such a hard time learning to be comfortable with who we are, and it seems that so much in our world is bent on encouraging us to be discontent or to hold up some model with which we should conform. Literally from the time that we are born, we are measured and compared and found wanting in some way. We have percentage charts for height and weight and numerous other ways of measuring and comparing our attributes. In every culture there are preferable hair, skin, and eye colors, or other qualities that are valued or devalued. We compare ourselves to others and we feel alternatively good or bad about ourselves based on how we measure up to these standards. It is a source of false pride, or equally false debasement.

Scripture tells us that each one of us was knit together in our mothers’ womb and was uniquely designed and created by God. We are each one of us, His workmanship. The Potter has formed us with an exact design in mind, and He didn’t make any mistakes when he was shaping and forming us. He created us and endowed us with just exactly the qualities that He wanted us to have so that we could do exactly what He wants us to do. Not only did He create us, but He also prepared good works in advance for us to do. He has good plans for us, good work for us to do, a contribution for us to make to His Kingdom, a unique contribution that He has designed us perfectly to accomplish.

He also designed us for relationship with Him. It’s not just that He has something that He wants to do through us; He wants to do something in us. We are each formed in His image, and He is in the process of restoring and refining that image in each of us. Humans were never designed to be independent. We are inherently dependent creatures. We are needy. We need food. We need drink. We need shelter from the elements. We need relationships. We need things outside of ourselves to be fully ourselves. Our most central need, the one most needful thing, is God. There are many things that we can busy ourselves with, even using the gifts and abilities that God has given us, but only one necessary thing. We were never intended to live apart from God.

When Jesus lived on earth, he demonstrated this total dependence on God. Jesus repeatedly taught through His words and actions that He marched to the beat of the divine drummer. He was not dominated by culture, expectations, methodologies, or strategies. Instead, He carefully cultivated the habit of attentiveness to His Father. Jesus said repeatedly that he did nothing and said nothing except those things that the Father wanted Him to do and say. There is no independent streak here, no rigidity, no pride, no insecurity. He simply listened to His Father’s voice and went about His Father’s business.

The more I minister to and with people the more I see the distinctiveness of each person. God has truly created each person uniquely and there is no one else like any one of us. I am coming to the understanding that the abundant life is cannot be separated from a life of service. Oneness with God means listening for His guidance and doing the things that He has designed us to be. We cannot separate our pursuit of Him from our service to Him. It is folly to think that we can be disgruntled about our design and be pleased with the Designer. We must learn to embrace who He has created us to be and look for opportunities to serve with and through His Spirit. By working with Him we learn about Him and grow closer to Him.