Who Are You?

Are you tired of all the killings and the war of words about various ideologies we've been seeing lately? Talking heads, force-feeding us their opinions; testifying to the "frail minded", hoping to convince us to join the world THEY live in. We write songs and tell stories trying to express OUR feelings, only to go unnoticed, unheard or persecuted.

Who are we anyway? Who are we inside? Are we what the world has created us to be - molded and shaped by other people's opinions? We read a book and now we're changed? Or are we different than everyone else? Set apart - far from the madding crowd? Who are we anyway?

We all have our opinions of how life should be. We spend most of our lives trying to attain what we think that life should be, only to fall short. Disappointed. My generation struggled with it. The current generation struggles with it. The world, you see, has no answers. It only creates more questions.

Well, I have a question. Why are we humans never satisfied?

The Apostle Paul has the answer. He wrote these words while he was in prison, awaiting his execution. Although he once persecuted Christians, he met Jesus. After that Paul had no more questions. He KNEW!

"3I thank my God every time I remember you. 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

7It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

9And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God.

21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." - Philippians 1:3-11, 21

Paul KNEW who He was and WHOSE he was. The only question each of us needs to answer is, "Do we know who WE are?" Are we "in Christ" or in "the world"?

Again Paul implores us examine ourselves. To always seek out the truth, in all humility. Test everything to see whether or not is is in God's will. If things do not line up, ignore them. But if they DO line up with God's will, whether it means life or death, follow.

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:2

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