Do You Ever Wonder Who You Are?

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9 NIV

Do you ever forget who you are? Before you know it minutes turn into hours, hours into days, and days into weeks, causing you to lose sight of your identity, and purpose, through Jesus Christ. That is a place that many of us have passed through before. You may also be someone who feels that you've never known who you are. You have just been wondering since you have been able to wonder. Maybe you have never found the “right” answer or the answer that gave you the most purpose. I feel that I can confidently say that most likely almost everyone has been in that place of wondering, and if you are a follower of the Lord than you have most likely forgotten even if it has been minutes rather than weeks. 

Today know that you are not just another person, a mistaken or coincidental soul here on earth. You are purposed, known, and created by the maker of the stars. Each hair on your head is known by God and you are a masterpiece, molded and loved deeply by the Lord. No other “identity” or thing can suffice for what God has created us to be and who we truly are.

Our key verse today is so special because it states how we (yes, meaning you) are God’s special possession. We are his chosen people, who were called out of the darkness into his wonderful light! So let me get this straight, I am a special possession of God, specifically chosen by him. He has rescued me from the darkness and has brought me into His wonderful light! Guess what, that is who you are too! When you forget who you are, read God’s word and let Him remind you of what He calls you to be. You are special, chosen, and basking in His wonderful light. Life may sometimes seem to weigh us down, trying to take away that identity, but this is what God does for you when you are weak…

‘But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”’ 2 Corinthians 12:9

When we are weak, even at our lowest points, God is our strength. You are empowered daily by your Father! He gives you His grace, which is always sufficient, always satisfies, and always works for your good. The author of this verse, Paul, went through quite a lot in his walk, often due to not knowing his identity in Christ. In this verse after talking about the Lord's perfect strength, Paul says that he will boast in his weaknesses so that all may see that it is Christ working through him. He is so satisfied in who God has made him, that he only wants to be a reflection of God and his great love, to others.

You are special to God, chosen specifically by Him, rescued by Him from all darkness, given His strength in all your weakness, and gifted an endless outpouring of His grace. We have learned all of this from these two passages of scripture and guess what...there is more! God did not have to give you any of this, but in His love for you, as His most special possession, He sacrificed His only son for you to live in freedom, and relationship with Him.

Ephesians 2:4-8 says...“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—” (NIV)

Ephesians 2:4-8 describes perfectly who we used to be and how we have been made new in the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross. We were dead in our sin, living in darkness apart from God, unable to hear Him. But then Jesus came to be the final sacrifice so that we could be made new, by relationship with God, and our creator could rescue us from the darkness we had been living in. God chose to rescue us, to lay down His only son to know you!

This is what God means when He says He chose you because He truly did. He chose you over everything, even over the death of His son, which resurrected 3 days later through the miraculous workings of God.

You are not just a number in this vast population on earth, you are individually known and deeply loved by God. You are His creation, His Child.

Matthew 10:30-31 tells us that “And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (NIV)

If you forgot today or have always been wondering who you are, this is who you are! You are known to God by name, loved deeply by a God that will never give up on you. A God that knows that number of hairs on your head and sacrificed His only son to know you and show you His love daily.

Our key verse instructs us that we are called to raise up praises to Him because He has rescued us. Our identity is a saved child of God and our purpose is to praise Him for all of our days so that we not only remember who we are but so others are pointed to Him, through us. If you forget who you are I urge you to praise the Lord and He will quickly remind you.

Wherever and whoever you are... you are individually known, loved, and have been created by the maker of all things. You are identified, purposed and validated by the cross of Jesus Christ who gave it all for you.

This is who you are.