Who are you? Have you ever seen a chameleon? It’s a lizard that blends in with its environment. They change their colors depending on what is around them. This is a survival technique for the lizard. What about you? Are you your own person or do your circumstances dictate who you are?
So much of our childhood is spent trying to fit in with the crowd. As adults, people bend over backwards to stand out in a crowd. Without the example of Jesus, it would be very difficult to know what we are to do.
Jesus came into the world and lived among us; however, He never ceased being Who He was. His environment nor His circumstances changed Him. His identity, His actions, His words all stemmed from His Father. He even said, “I and my Father are one” [John 10:30]. Then further in the book of John He said, “I do what my Father commanded me” [John 14:31]. He does not allow other people or the situations He is in to change who He is, dictate His actions or His purpose in life. They do not give Him His identity.
What about you? What is the motivation behind your actions and words? Where do you gain your identity? John 17:16 tells us we are to be like Jesus, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.” We are called to live in the world, but not be of the world. We shouldn’t blend in, like chameleons, rather we should stand out. We are to be salt of the earth [Matthew 5:13]. We are to be noticeable and a light [Matthew 5:14-16]. As a children’s song goes, we are to live “right side up in an upside down world.”
God calls us His witnesses [Acts 1:8]; the apple of His eye [Psalm 17:8]; His children [John 1:12]. The list goes on and on, but the bottom line is this- we gain our identity from Jesus.
So, I close with the question I started with…who are you?