WHO'D YOU SAY YOU ARE?

A few weeks ago, I was tasked with the job of picking my 3-year old granddaughter up from preschool. It was the first time I had visited the school, but Nona was expecting me. When I reached the door of the classroom and told the teacher I was there for Nona, she called out and said, “Nona, your grandma is here.” Nona whirled around and looked straight at me. She furrowed her brow and a frown spread across her face. “That’s NOT grandma!” she said.
 
The children joined in, several chanting, “Nona, your grandma is here.” Nona became obviously frustrated and said, “You guys, that’s NOT Grandma! That’s LULU!” You see, LuLu is the grandma name my daughters bestowed on me when Nona was born. And, she has another grandmother she calls Grandma.
 
So, despite the awkwardness, Nona had identified me correctly. I’m not her Grandma … I am her LuLu. We were able to get everything straightened out before Child Protective Services was called, and Nona happily took my hand and we left together.
 
As I’ve thought and chuckled about this experience, I’ve come to realize that Nona expressed more confidence in my identity than I sometimes feel. I’m a child of God … but sometimes I do not feel worthy of that name. I’m forgiven, but I occasionally still feel very guilty.
 
Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, we are invited to be identified as part of His family … children of God. What does this say about us … about the guarantee of our identity?
 

1. We are loved.
   Loved by God more than we can possibly imagine. Isaiah 49 says His eyes are always on us. In Luke 12, we learn that He numbers the hairs on our heads. And, Psalm 56:8 says, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.” And, 1 John 3 clearly identifies us through His love, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And, that is what we are!” We are deeply loved.
   
   
2. We are accepted.
   Even if you feel like you’ve never quite fit in, you aren’t a part of the inner circle at work or school, or even if you have a hard time connecting at church … He accepts you. Romans 8 reminds us, “If God is for us, who can be against us? Who will bring any charge against those whom God as chosen? It is God who justified. Who, then, is the one who condemns? No one. Jesus Christ who died and was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is interceding for us.”
   
   
3. We are conquerors.
   If you’re struggling with your identify or are hurting in some way, take comfort in (again) Romans 8. “In all things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us … Neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither the present nor the future, not any powers, neither heights nor depth, not anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
   
   
   

So, the next time you lose confidence in the security of your identity, don’t lean on your own understanding. Remember who God says you are.
 
 
Lynda Files