Who Are You?
For you college girls out there, I know what's consuming your life right now: EXAMS.
And so much stuff comes with exams: studying, papers, stress, and an ongoing desire to just GO HOME FOR CHRISTMAS. (More on that in another post!)
Yes, exams are meant to be hard.
They're meant to see what you really retained over the past 4 months.
They're meant to push you, make you dig, and see what actually got buried in your brain.
You want to succeed at exams. They are a way to measure what you remembered.
But do you know that your success--or failure--in your exams does not define you? Really.
And, come to think of it, neither does your GPA, now or in high school.
Neither does your school, your major, or your scholarship level.
You're not defined by your friends, your abilities, your family, your social skills, your intelligence, or your past.
Really?
Really. I promise.
So who are you? What defines you? How do you define yourself?
Other people define you by the things mentioned above: grades, friends, abilities, etc. But you know you're so much more than those things.
Great. Then define yourself.
(Easier said than done!)
I'll give you a great example: Paul. You know him; his life is chronicled in the book of Acts and you can see him go from persecutor of Christians to one of the most influential missionaries this world has ever known.
And at the beginning of every letter he wrote (the books of Romans through Philemon), Paul identifies himself to the recipient.
[Back then, writers put their own names at the beginning of letters instead of closing with their names. Paul went a step further, defining himself to the person or church receiving his letter.]
And this morning I sat down and wrote every single greeting Paul used in his letters. Here they are:
In Romans: "Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God..."
In 1 Corinthians: "Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God...
In 2 Corinthians: "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God..."
In Galatians: "Paul, an apostle--sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead..."
In Ephesians: "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God..."
In Philippians: "Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus..."
In Colossians: "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God..."
In 1 and 2 Thessalonians: "Paul, Silas, and Timothy,"
In 1 Timothy: "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus our hope,"
In 2 Timothy: "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,"
In Titus: "Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness--a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior..."
In Philemon: "Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus,"
I know you realized how Paul defined himself because I highlighted it for you :)
Servant.
Apostle.
Called.
by God's will.
The word for "servant" indicated a slave, either sold or traded to a slave-owner or one who chose to become a slave of a particularly amazing master.
The term "apostle" means messenger or representative or agent. Someone sent to represent someone else.
And he was "called" by God through Christ Jesus. Paul never doubted why he lived the life of a servant: God called him to it.
He was a called apostle and servant because God willed it to happen. Paul was hand-picked by God Himself to represent the Father and the Son with his life.
May I suggest these are also the defining descriptions of your life if you are a child of God?
Servant.
Apostle.
Called.
by God's will.
YOU are one sent by Jesus, called by God, choosing to live as a slave to the One who loved you so much He died to save you. Because God wanted YOU.
Nothing to do with exams, grades, performance, choices, other people, plans, where you live, who you know, what you know, or any other defining quality that could ever exist.
You are called by God to serve Him as you represent Him with your life.
Just like Paul.
Just like me.
May we accept our identity and remember it when we're tempted to define ourselves in any other way.
You are a servant.
You are an apostle.
God called you.
By His will.
Now go take that exam in freedom, knowing it cannot change who you are!
(Also, you are very loved. By me. I honestly, seriously, prayerfully think of each of your sweet little faces every time I write something. I am so blessed to watch you live out your life for Jesus.)
@leslienotebook
myleslienotebook@gmail.com
And I would be SO HONORED if you'd subscribe by email. Just so you don't forget :) Top right corner!
And so much stuff comes with exams: studying, papers, stress, and an ongoing desire to just GO HOME FOR CHRISTMAS. (More on that in another post!)
Yes, exams are meant to be hard.
They're meant to see what you really retained over the past 4 months.
They're meant to push you, make you dig, and see what actually got buried in your brain.
You want to succeed at exams. They are a way to measure what you remembered.
But do you know that your success--or failure--in your exams does not define you? Really.
And, come to think of it, neither does your GPA, now or in high school.
Neither does your school, your major, or your scholarship level.
You're not defined by your friends, your abilities, your family, your social skills, your intelligence, or your past.
Really?
Really. I promise.
So who are you? What defines you? How do you define yourself?
Other people define you by the things mentioned above: grades, friends, abilities, etc. But you know you're so much more than those things.
Great. Then define yourself.
(Easier said than done!)
I'll give you a great example: Paul. You know him; his life is chronicled in the book of Acts and you can see him go from persecutor of Christians to one of the most influential missionaries this world has ever known.
And at the beginning of every letter he wrote (the books of Romans through Philemon), Paul identifies himself to the recipient.
[Back then, writers put their own names at the beginning of letters instead of closing with their names. Paul went a step further, defining himself to the person or church receiving his letter.]
And this morning I sat down and wrote every single greeting Paul used in his letters. Here they are:
In Romans: "Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God..."
In 1 Corinthians: "Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God...
In 2 Corinthians: "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God..."
In Galatians: "Paul, an apostle--sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead..."
In Ephesians: "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God..."
In Philippians: "Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus..."
In Colossians: "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God..."
In 1 and 2 Thessalonians: "Paul, Silas, and Timothy,"
In 1 Timothy: "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus our hope,"
In 2 Timothy: "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,"
In Titus: "Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness--a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior..."
In Philemon: "Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus,"
I know you realized how Paul defined himself because I highlighted it for you :)
Servant.
Apostle.
Called.
by God's will.
The word for "servant" indicated a slave, either sold or traded to a slave-owner or one who chose to become a slave of a particularly amazing master.
The term "apostle" means messenger or representative or agent. Someone sent to represent someone else.
And he was "called" by God through Christ Jesus. Paul never doubted why he lived the life of a servant: God called him to it.
He was a called apostle and servant because God willed it to happen. Paul was hand-picked by God Himself to represent the Father and the Son with his life.
May I suggest these are also the defining descriptions of your life if you are a child of God?
Servant.
Apostle.
Called.
by God's will.
YOU are one sent by Jesus, called by God, choosing to live as a slave to the One who loved you so much He died to save you. Because God wanted YOU.
Nothing to do with exams, grades, performance, choices, other people, plans, where you live, who you know, what you know, or any other defining quality that could ever exist.
You are called by God to serve Him as you represent Him with your life.
Just like Paul.
Just like me.
May we accept our identity and remember it when we're tempted to define ourselves in any other way.
You are a servant.
You are an apostle.
God called you.
By His will.
Now go take that exam in freedom, knowing it cannot change who you are!
(Also, you are very loved. By me. I honestly, seriously, prayerfully think of each of your sweet little faces every time I write something. I am so blessed to watch you live out your life for Jesus.)
@leslienotebook
myleslienotebook@gmail.com
And I would be SO HONORED if you'd subscribe by email. Just so you don't forget :) Top right corner!
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