Remember Who You Are

Some of us grew up with an unhealthy portion of shame attached to our little psyches! It may be that we learned shame from parents who could not be pleased—or at least in our childish understanding, it was so. We may have learned shame from teachers who instilled fear in us rather than genuine respect. It may have been religious instruction that pictured us as “sinners in the hands of an angry God,” to quote Jonathan Edwards in 1741, and did not offer us vibrant hope in a way we could understand. There are other causes as well—things that others have said or done to impact our lives—and because we do not know how to differentiate between true guilt and feelings of shame, we have carried the burden far too long. It has made people-pleasers of us.

Those who struggle with these issues may have a warped idea of God as well: He is waiting to pounce on our failings and sins. He is less like a compassionate father than a prison guard. Yes, He loves everybody in the world—but He doesn’t really like me very well. As for pleasing Him—forget it. He is difficult, even impossible, to please. We may know very well the truths of forgiveness and salvation. But the old feelings persist.

Sometimes it helps to reframe that earlier understanding. Instead of trying so hard to please God, we can think in terms of honoring Him. A friend expressed it this way: “My father told me, ‘Always remember you are a Smith.’ ” (not his real name) The young man understood this to mean, “Be guided by those who bear this name. Remember who you are.”

We may have to work our whole lifetime at changing faulty understandings, and certainly we will fall short of becoming perfect while we’re in this life. But that is not what God is looking for! “The eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.” (II Chronicles16:9 KJV) The understanding is perfect? No. The behavior is perfect? No. The heart is fully committed to Him. We are part of the family of God. We share His name. He is honored when we remember who He really is. He is honored when we remember who we are.

MaryMartha
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Email: mrymrtha@gmail.com