I am a woman. I am a daughter. I am a sister. I am a friend. I am a member of my church. I am an employee. I am a Marketing Director. I am a Nashvillian. I am a college graduate. I am 5'2" with blonde hair and blue eyes. I am 36 years old. I am a Christian.
I started a new job this week and along with that has come meeting lots of new people. Almost without fail…there is the introduction, "Hi, my name is Michelle Sanders and I am the Director of Marketing."
It's my job title… the words used to lend credibility as to who I am and what I do for the company. It's just a title. As with the other words I previously used to describe myself… it's just a bunch of words and descriptions that are used to describe who I am and what I do. But at the very core, I find myself asking "who am I?" And who truly knows me?
I love the story in the book of Matthew where Jesus asks His disciples who do they say He is.
At first, they replied with answers relating to what others in their community thought of Jesus. Some thought He was a prophet, Herod thought Jesus was John, many Jewish people were anticipating the return of Elijah, so they thought Jesus might be him or possibly even Jeremiah.
Then Jesus asked the bigger question. "Who do you say I am?" Here, Jesus was asking those closest to Him, those He trusted, those whom He believed knew Him better than anyone else who they believed Him to be.
In that moment, I believe Jesus wanted His disciples to know there would be a variety of judgments and opinions as to who He was, but that it would be those closest to Him, His disciples, who would truly know Him as the Christ, God's Son. He asked this question of them, not because He didn't know what they thought of Him and said of Him; but to have the opportunity, in getting them to express their faith from themselves, to confirm and strengthen them in it.
What do you allow to define you? Is it the labels that others impose based on what you look like or what you do for a living? Or maybe it's an opinion formed on the basis of the friends you have and the people you hang around. Or perhaps what they've heard from someone else… and if it is from someone else, how well does this person know you?
Perhaps a better question might be who knows you so well, that if asked, they would truly know who you are and would give the "right" answer?
I believe because of my past, I'm more skeptical as to who I let in… to who I let truly know me. I'm not as open as I used to be. I don't let everyone know the "real" me. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I guess it depends on the day and it depends on the person. I'm just more cautious.
But, I do have a small community of friends who I believe know me better than anyone else. The best part of being known – is that with the right person – it doesn't matter if you're having a good day or a bad day, they will still love you, unconditionally.
Outside of these friends, I do believe there is someone else who knows me even better. In fact, He knows me better than I know myself. It is through this relationship I find out who I truly am.
I am a sinner. I am a child of God. I am forgiven.
Who are you?