Who Am I?

As the school year settles in, we've all been confronted by the question, whether we acknowledge it or not.  People are constantly asking who you are, just not with those words.  Maybe it's "Where'd you get those clothes?" or "What sport are you in?" or "Where are you working?" but the meaning is the same.  Who are you?

We label everything: colors, types, ideas, dreams, learning styles, disabilities, race, gender, successes and failures, ups and downs, and more.  Why?  Simply because a label allows us to make a swift judgment about something without actually having to learn about it.  Saying something was '80's automatically means thinking of hair bands and Top Gun.  But, we unfortunately do this to people too.  And I'm not just talking about stereotypes, but in every aspect of our relating to them.  We see that someone plays sports and label them a jock (dumb or not), we see a girl all in black with piercings and such and call her emo or goth, we see someone who skips out on parties and call them a goody-two-shoes.  The list could go on and on, but we're making those snap judgments based on external qualities and not taking the time to discover who they really are, because who someone really is cannot be determined by any external criteria (although some of us act as though that is all we are!).  Just look at this story (1 Samuel 16.6-12):

When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!”  But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Then Jesse told his son Abinadab to step forward and walk in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “This is not the one the Lord has chosen.” Next Jesse summoned Shimea, but Samuel said, “Neither is this the one the Lord has chosen.”10In the same way all seven of Jesse’s sons were presented to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” Then Samuel asked, “Are these all the sons you have?”  “There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.”  “Send for him at once,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.”  So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes.
And the Lord said, “This is the one; anoint him.”

Notice, "People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."  Even Samuel (a dude who literally talked to God and heard His voice) was caught up in it, seeing the stud muffin of a man Eliab was and thinking he had to be the next king.  But God cuts through the fluff and show, determining who we really are.  Do you relate to people that way?  Do you get to know their heart and learn to love them  for their heart, or is it based on who they project they are?  Their achievements and accolades and activities and appearance aren't who they really are, just the image that people see.

So take some time today to answer the question: who am I really?  The answer isn't in anything you do, but in who you really are: your character and essence.  Really think about it, because I'm not just an enormous ex-football player who's got 6 kids and is a youth/worship pastor.  Those are parts of me, but not anywhere near defining who I am...