"And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My
church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." -Matthew 16:18
Have you ever found yourself lacking confidence? Have you ever found
yourself doubting the call of God on your life? I think all of us go
through this, even the most mature Christian. But when we get to this
place, we need to go back to God's promises, and go back to remembering
our true identity in Christ. (Perhaps even begin a journey of truly
discovering it!)
Simon Peter was someone in the Bible who is cited as being impulsive and
emotional, as evidenced by his unending questions and rash decisions.
His name, Simon, meant reed - which is blown and swayed by the wind.
But when Jesus first meets Peter, He says, "You are Simon son of John.
You will be called Peter." -John 1:42
It's interesting to me that during the time Peter was Jesus' disciple,
he is called by two names. Isn't that a little bipolar? I would be
confused in my identity if I was given two names! But at the end of his
three years with Jesus, He tells him, "I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it."
Peter went from being called something that defined his past mistakes
and shortcomings in character to being called a rock - something sturdy,
steady, and characteristic of his new life build on The Rock -
Jesus. Masks (our false identity) come out of our flesh or wounding,
the areas where the enemy has defined us. Our true identity comes from
God, via revelation by the Holy Spirit, by submitting our lives to the
redemptive work of Jesus Christ. God always sees us in the context of
our future destiny, not our past failures.
Are there any areas where the enemy has defined you? Have you allowed
your relationship with Jesus to re-define you? Are you on a journey of
discovering who you really are in Him? I pray that we will continue to
grow into the fullness of all we were meant to be in Him.
“Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, in Our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” Gen 1:26
“Red, yellow, black and white, we’re all precious in His sight… “
Every time I go to the mall, I am struck with how different each of us is. Some short, some tall, some big, some small – we have different personalities, characteristics, likes, dislikes, hopes and dreams. Each of our differences makes up a wonderful world where each of us was born unique – and born to do something special. Imagine if we looked the same or each did the same thing – how boring life would be! And nothing in the world would get accomplished because nothing ingenious would be done.
Problems come in when we start comparing ourselves to others, or, we don’t see the value in our traits. We may not look like the supermodel off the cover of Vogue, or we may not look like our favorite sports star. No matter, God has fashioned us. Every bit of us. He made us for a unique purpose in Him.
I am drawn to the example of Nick Vujicic. Here is a man who was born without limbs. “How cruel must God be?!” you might say. But Nick doesn’t think so. He blesses God for the opportunity to share his witness as he ministers to the thousands with the message, “There is no obstacle too big that you can’t overcome.” Although doing daily tasks such as brushing his teeth and taking a shower require immense effort, Nick has found solutions to these deficiencies and obstacles brought on by his lack of limbs. Some days it was difficult, yes, but even through that he managed to thank God for his life and remember that He would use him for His glory.
Do you know you are wonderfully made? If you lack in self-confidence, remember that God has fashioned you for a unique purpose. There is no shame in how God has made us. He loves us each the same.
