What defines us? How do we say, Yes, this is who I am? Female, male...father, mother, child...Thai, Kenyan, Canadian, Scot...Georgia fan, everybody else? Broad categories. But none tell us who we are.
The most common way we define ourselves concerns our job. It's so important that Where do you work, what do you do? are among the first things we ask someone. That's rough for many. I have friends who are unemployed or about to be. Several have tried to find work for years. Something, anything, to pay the bills, feed their kids, find a place to live.
Many see their jobs as the source of their self-worth. Think about that. All that's significant about their lives-what sums up their entire worth as a human being on this planet, what defines them to the world and themselves-is viewed within the fragile confines of that which can be taken away at any moment, through no fault of their own and in spite of their hardest efforts.
Is that how we should define ourselves? Does our worth truly lie in the hands of those around us?
I've studied religions, faiths and beliefs. I would not call myself an expert. Even in my own faith, there's much I don't understand. But in none I've studied does a supreme creator sacrifice itself for the sake of creatures who betray it, providing them the opportunity to live in peace forever...except one.
No Greek, Roman, Norse, Egyptian, Phoenician or Hindu god did this. Creator God as defined by Orthodox Jews, Muslims, Jehovah Witnesses, and Mormons has not done this. Spiritual leaders, such as Buddha and Mohammed, never did this. Only in the faith of those who follow Immanuel---God with us, Jesus---is there such a sacrifice.
Why is this important? Because those who follow Jesus have a way of defining who they are that is quite unique. They do not discover their worth through their own efforts or by adhering to rules and regulations. Followers of Jesus are defined by His word; their worth is discovered in His love.
God did not come to this earth in human form, walk among those who hated Him, share the truth of His love for them, and physically die as the sacrifice for their betrayal...for garbage. He came because He loves us. He sees what we can become. He finds within you and me something worth dying for.
Don't have a job? Can't find work? That's terrible. Think your life is over and you're not worth the dirt on your shoes? You're wrong. Every day life begins anew. Every day adventure awaits. Every day has challenges. And every day---every single day---you can walk with the Creator of the Universe.
If you believe in Jesus, you are loved by the Father, protected by the Son, and guided by the Spirit. You are not just a name written in a book. You are cherished---a child, a friend, a follower. Know who you are, not by the standards of this world but in the love of God. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:16-17)
May each day you confidently say, This is who I am---treasure that was lost...a soul Jesus came to save...one worth dying for.
