Who You Are Not What You Do

Who are you?  Not just "What's your name" . . . .  But what defines you?

I sat in chapel one weekday morning as the lecturer explained the deeper implications of our small talk.  "If you've ever listened to two men talk," he told us, "this is how the conversation begin: 'So, what do you do?'  Many of you have been dreaming about something you want to do like becoming President or changing the culture."

He was right.  Every one of us in that room had something noble that we wanted to do whether it was in politics or the church or even so broad as changing the world.  But he challenged us that day to spend less time thinking about what we wanted to do and to focus more on what we want to be.

Figuring out what we want to do can be difficult.  Do I write history books or design fashion or become a missionary or have lots of kiddies?  Or do I perhaps do all of those things at one time or another--maybe even all at the same time?

Choosing what we want to be should not be so difficult for those of us who are Christians.  We are to become Christlike (Rom. 8:29 ESV).  We are told that the fruits of the Spirit are "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance" (Gal. 5:22-23 KJV).  We are told that "God is love" and His perfect love is defined for us in great detail (I John 4:8 ESV; I Cor. 13:4-7).  Surely, these are the things that we ought to strive to be.  We are also given stepping stones to the maturing of our faith (II Pet. 1:3-11).

For a very long time, I have found it difficult to measure myself by these Biblical standards.  It can be challenging to approach the task of self-assessment in an unbiased fashion, and yet it is crucial that we know where we stand and continue to learn and grow in godliness.

As we approach the end of this year, I want to challenge each of you to join me in measuring yourself against the Scriptural yardsticks provided and setting goals for who you would like to be or become in the new year.  If necessary, involve a mentor who knows you very well and can provide an objective viewpoint.  For me, the process will also include a little assessment of what I have learned this year and how I am changed as a result.

We cannot change the world for Christ until we are changed by Him.