Our God-Given Identity

The will of God is hard for us to comprehend, and we often get lost in trying to understand God and how to live in this world as He would have us live. Then when we believe we understand something of God, we are often reluctant to share that belief and to live it. We as Christians know much about God from the church, from other Christians and the Bible. If we look at how and why God created all things, we may get a different perspective that will help to urge us on.  

In the book of Genesis, we see that God created the entire universe and all that is in it (Ge 1:1-14). We also see that God gave special attention to the Earth in the creation story. On the Earth God created the plant life, He then goes on to create all kinds of animal life in the sea, in the air and on the land (Ge 1:20 – 24). Then comes the special creation of God when He creates mankind in His own image, and He makes mankind in two different forms, that of a man and that of a woman. He further gives to mankind the special honor of stewardship over all living things, both plant and animal. (Ge 1:25-30)

What can we gather from these Bible passages, and how can we apply them to our lives? First, God loves us. We see that by the special attention He gave to us by creating us in His own image. By making humankind both male and female, God showed that he did not want us to be alone, but instead we would be social creatures helping each other as we live our lives. By Him creating both male and female, procreation would be part of our lives. God also gave special attention to the Earth. From science we know that the created universe is so vast in size that we are unable, in a lifetime, to travel much beyond our own solar system. And from science we know that the Earth is almost unique as planets go because of its’ composition, that it orbits a single sun and is at the correct distance from the sun to support life. By giving us stewardship over all living things on the Earth, God shows us that He trusts us to care for the Earth that He created for us and all else that is in it. Our God is a trusting and loving God to us.

What we read in Genesis chapter 1 is only the beginning of man’s relationship with God. Because of our sinful nature, we always seem to turn away from what our creator would have us do. If we believe in God and Jesus, and we call ourselves Christian, then we need to be standing up for what we believe in and sharing what we believe with others who do not know God or Jesus. We are told by Jesus to do just that (Co 1:28, Mk 16:15, Mt 24:14, 1 Th 5:11). We can show the truth of God by how we live, but without speaking to others as to why we live like that, we will not be called a Christian; we will only be called a “good” person. If a Christian speaks to their friends, to strangers, in crowds and in the public forum about why they are a Christian, they will be known as a Christian. Failure to say the reasons that you are for or against something will affect you, the person that knows you and strangers as well. By not stating the “why” will leave others to give their own reason or excuse for how we live and interact with the world. One voice changing the minds of others is what started Christianity and brought change to the world.

As Christians we sometimes forget that. When we are asked “Who are you?” we identify ourselves by where we live, by who we know, by our job, by our political or social affiliation and so on. Remember what Jesus said, (Mt 10:32) “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.” The Disciple group suggests that you add one extra word to how you think of yourself and how you identify yourself to others. When someone asks you who you are, just say, I am a Christian Friend; I am a Christian Mother; I am a Christian Mechanic; I am a Christian Rotarian; etc.

As Christians we sometimes forget that. When we are asked “Who are you?” we identify ourselves by where we live, by who we know, by our job, by our political or social affiliation and so on. Remember what Jesus said, (Mt 10:32) “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.” The Disciple group suggests that you add one extra word to how you think of yourself and how you identify yourself to others. When someone asks you who you are, just say, I am a Christian Friend; I am a Christian Mother; I am a Christian Mechanic; I am a Christian Rotarian; e