Who Are You?

Johnson, Chris. Anxious. 2022.

Digital with Midjourney AI

Psalm 23:1- The Lord is my shepherd 

Problems with self often begin with the question “Who am I?”  When we don’t know who we are, we may try to define ourselves.  The challenge with such self-established definitions is that they can’t help but be based on temporary things.  “I am loved by this person.  I am father/mother to these children.  I work at this job. I have obtained these accomplishments.”  All of these titles sound permanent, but none of them are.  Love can fizzle, children can be lost, jobs can be stripped away, and accomplishments can be devalued.  No matter what titles we give ourselves to self-identify, Satan has the ability to steal them away (Don’t believe me? Just ask Job.).

David in Psalm 23 understood this truth.  So, how does David define himself?  Through God.  “The Lord is my shepherd.”  God does the same thing for Job in the Book of Job chapter 1 as he asks Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job?”  When God defines us, suddenly we have identity based on something that will last.  We don’t have to worry about losing identity, because it can never be stripped.  Perhaps this is how Jesus managed to stand tall when Satan attacked him, “If you are the Son of God then turn these stones to bread.”  Just verses earlier, God had defined Jesus, “This is my Son, who I love and with whom I am pleased.” When self-worth is based on God, self-esteem becomes a non-issue.