Who Am I?

     An early song written and sung by Casting Crowns is entitled "Who Am I?"  The words are reminiscent of the sentiment written in Psalm 8 by David:  "When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?  Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.  You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.  O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth" (vs. 3-9).  Indeed, with both King David and Mark Hall the songwriter, we wonder "who am I Lord" that You the great Creator of all the universe would want to have a relationship with me?  It is a deep question, and one that man has sought to find an answer for in many different ways.
     Sadly, men have sought to find their identity in ways that often lead to despair:  alcohol, drugs,

sex, and their work among other ways.  However, none of these avenues really define who we are because they all lead to dead ends.  In order to really know who we are, we have to know for whom we were created.  According to Genesis 1:1, we learn:  "God created the heavens and the earth."  He was the source of all life, and His crowning creation was man.  Why did He make us?  He made us to bear His image in this world and according to the Westminster Confession of Faith, "man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."  Unfortunately, the Bible also describes how man rebelled against the One who made him (Genesis 3) leading to a broken relationship and a fallen nature.  We have all inherited that sinful nature and none of us seek after God (Romans 3:10).  At this point, we might wonder what difference it makes?  The answer is simple.
     If we live in such a way that is contrary to what we were made for, we will never find the true fulfillment and happiness of heart that we long for in life.  Let me illustrate.  A chain saw is used to cut down tree limbs and trees.  When it is used for the purpose for which it was created, it works well and accomplishes what the creator desired when he made it.  On the other hand, if we use a chain saw  to cut a cake or food item, we may well destroy the entire thing.  It wasn't meant for that.  In looking at our lives, we can see that if we were created for God by God we will only find the greatest purpose and satisfaction in our lives when we live for Him rather than for ourselves.  The Good News of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ came to die in our place and take our punishment for our rebellion.  When we confess our sins and accept Jesus Christ as both our Savior and Lord, we once again are in right relationship with God.  It is at this point that we really begin to live our lives with purpose.  There is a joy that this world cannot know or touch.
     I have written all this to say that our identity is not found in the baubles and trinkets of this world system which is passing away.  Our real identity is found in Christ, and through the pages of the Bible, we see the description of what it means to live for Him.  He is our peace, our salvation, our Good Shepherd, our Comforter and the healer of our hearts.  We will not find the answers in "People Magazine", Hollywood or in the pages of "Vogue Magazine".  Everything else in this world will disappoint and let us down, but Jesus promised that He would never leave nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6; 31:8 and Hebrews 13:5).  Answering the question "Who am I?" is not difficult when we know for whom we were created.  Begin afresh today to recommit your life to Christ if you have bought into what the world is selling.  Or if you have never made that commitment to Christ, I challenge you to give your life to Him.  He will provide the fulfillment that you seek far beyond what this world has to offer.  Selah!