Made in His Image
A number of years ago, we were invited to a luncheon and the main speaker was seated at our table. He asked the same question to all three wives, “Who is your husband?” I responded, “He is pastor of a church and he serves on different committees.” Every wife had a different response; one husband was an educator; another was a social worker. But that was not what the speaker asked us; he didn’t ask us to rattle off labels.
As we go into 2025 it’s important to look in the mirror and ask ourselves, “Who am I?” I am reminded of a story in the New Testament: “When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say, Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven’” (Matthew 16:13-18 NIV).
God identifies us according to HIS WORD, not according to labels that people will load us down with in order to fit into certain molds that we can boast about or be accepted by. There is a quote by Raymond Hall: “He who trims himself to suit everyone will soon whittle himself away.” As my children were growing up my name wasn’t Gail, it was ‘mom’ and I held that title as my identity for so many years. For a time, I was ‘Nate’s wife’ without realizing that I had a name, that I was a person whom God called as an individual.
This year, ask God to open your eyes to who you are in HIM. Ask yourself while looking in the mirror, “Who am I? Not who people say I am - wife, mom, etc. - but who am I?” If you strip away all the labels and different hats you wear, it comes down to who you are as a person. Then speak God’s Word to yourself. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. When you speak God’s Word it goes down in your spirit and becomes reality in your life.
Call out who you are in a loud voice so that you can hear it. Speak to yourself, “I am a child of God, fearfully and wonderfully made, I am a new creation, righteous through the blood of Jesus. He has called me to do great things for HIM for the kingdom of God.” (Psalm 139:14, 2 Cor. 5:17) Go into the New Year with a new identity about yourself. HAPPY NEW YEAR AND HAPPY NEW YOU!
As we go into 2025 it’s important to look in the mirror and ask ourselves, “Who am I?” I am reminded of a story in the New Testament: “When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say, Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven’” (Matthew 16:13-18 NIV).
God identifies us according to HIS WORD, not according to labels that people will load us down with in order to fit into certain molds that we can boast about or be accepted by. There is a quote by Raymond Hall: “He who trims himself to suit everyone will soon whittle himself away.” As my children were growing up my name wasn’t Gail, it was ‘mom’ and I held that title as my identity for so many years. For a time, I was ‘Nate’s wife’ without realizing that I had a name, that I was a person whom God called as an individual.
This year, ask God to open your eyes to who you are in HIM. Ask yourself while looking in the mirror, “Who am I? Not who people say I am - wife, mom, etc. - but who am I?” If you strip away all the labels and different hats you wear, it comes down to who you are as a person. Then speak God’s Word to yourself. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. When you speak God’s Word it goes down in your spirit and becomes reality in your life.
Call out who you are in a loud voice so that you can hear it. Speak to yourself, “I am a child of God, fearfully and wonderfully made, I am a new creation, righteous through the blood of Jesus. He has called me to do great things for HIM for the kingdom of God.” (Psalm 139:14, 2 Cor. 5:17) Go into the New Year with a new identity about yourself. HAPPY NEW YEAR AND HAPPY NEW YOU!