My son, Jacob, seems to really know who he is (yeah, I know he's only two). After playing with him, I might say to him, "Jake, you are so funny!" His immediate response is usually, "No! I'm Jacob!"
He might come into the room with a dirty diaper, about which I might comment, "Jake! You are stinky!" He assuredly replies, "No, I'm Jacob!"
Sometimes I might be cuddling with him, and feeling overwhelmed by his big brown eyes and blond curly hair, I might declare, "Jacob, you are so cute!" And again, "No, I'm Jacob!"
Hmmmm....could he be on to something?
It sort of reminds me of one my favorite children's books by Max Lucado, You Are Special. Have you ever read that one? I love reading it to the kids because it's always such a great reminder for me too. In it, the little wooden characters can't seem to escape the words (negative or positive) of their peers. The main character soon learns that nothing will "stick" if every day he visits with the carpenter who designed him. He realizes that it is only his opinion that matters.
You see, it's not just the negative comments from others that can do damage. Sometimes the positive ones can be just as harmful, if not more, because then we start to rely on them and perhaps think more highly of ourselves than we ought. Before we know it, our whole identity is founded upon the "insight" of others into our lives. We have suddenly forgotten that there is only One whose opinion of us matters.
Maybe at one time we were like little Jacob (who is inadvertently confident in who he is), but somewhere along the way, we learned to let others determine who we are or who we become. I'm constantly learning that while there are times when others' input is valuable, I must ultimately take those things that I hear--good and bad--to my Father, who always has my best interest at heart. If what I'm hearing doesn't match up with what He believes about me, then I should discard it. God doesn't want me to think less or more of myself than what He intended. He wants me to place my character, my self-worth, my everything in HIM.
Our identity must be in Christ alone, because when it comes to who we are, He is the only One who matters.
4 comments :
Great blog!!! It brought this verse to mind...."For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith." Romans 13:3
I liked the line that you wrote about if what others tell us doesn't line up with God says about us, that we should discard it.
Such a good devotion!!
Sorry....anonymous is me, your mother.
Amy, this is so good!!!! I've found that it is really easy to get out of line from God, when others praise you for something you've done or said. That's when I have to step back and give all the glory to my Father that has given me that talent, not that I don't believe in encouragement, because i surely do!!!!I don't know how I would have made it sometimes without the encouragement that I received from your MOM!!! Thank you Amy for your blog!! Love you, Kathy E
yes Amy i agree...good truth to bring out!!! Thanks!!
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