WHO AM I? Our Daily Bread
Teen
INTRODUCTION D
oes our Instagram account make us who we are? Or is it our school grades? Or our friends’ opinions? Or the amount of friends we have? Or does it come down to what our parents say about us? Is it a bit of a mix of all these things? . . . Where do you find out who you really are?
The Bible tells us there is a better, more secure and much more satisfying place to find our identity: knowing Jesus for ourselves. He gives us the best identity—one that doesn’t depend on what anyone else thinks or on how well we feel we’re doing in life. It is a gift from Him that lasts forever. When we trust our life to Him, who does He make us? God’s own child! Come and check it out for yourself . . .
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Psalm 118 1
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures for ever.
Let Israel say: ‘His love endures for ever.’ 3 Let the house of Aaron say: ‘His love endures for ever.’ 4 Let those who fear the Lord say: ‘His love endures for ever.’
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When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place. The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? 7 The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies.
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It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans. 9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. 10 All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I cut them down. 11 They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the Lord I cut them down. 12 They swarmed around me like bees, but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them down. 13 I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me. 14 The Lord is my strength and my defence; he has become my salvation. 8
15 Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: ‘The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things! 16 The Lord’s right hand is lifted high; the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!’ 17 I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done. 18 The Lord has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death. 19 Open for me the gates of the righteous; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord. 20 This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter. 21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. 22
The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; 23 the Lord has done this, and it is marvellous in our eyes. 24 The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. 25
Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you. 27 The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine on us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar. 26
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You are my God, and I will praise you; you are my God, and I will exalt you. 29
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures for ever.
IT’S ABOUT ME The Lord has done this (PSALM 118:23).
A
young guy took a course on preparing sermons and preaching. When he started, he was a bit full of himself. In one of the early classes, he gave a sermon which was full of passion. He sat down feeling pretty good about it. The teacher took a moment before giving any feedback. Then he said: “That was a powerful sermon. It was well thought through and moving. The only problem is that God was not the subject of a single one of your sentences.” It’s a problem all of us struggle with at times. We easily become the main character in our story. And so our focus is on me, me, me. We realise that God is generally ‘in charge’, but we live like everything really depends on us. The Bible tells us that God is the real main character of our lives. Even our trust of Him is done “in the name of the L ord”—in His power (PSALM 118:10-11). God gives us our salvation. God rescues us. God meets our needs. “The L ord has done this” (V.23). So the pressure’s off. We don’t need to worry, compare, do more, work harder or sort ourselves out. God is in charge. We need only to trust and follow His lead. WC
Thinking it over . . .
When are you most likely to think you’re the main character in your life? How can you keep God as the very centre of everything?
WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I LAID THE EARTH’S FOUNDATION? TELL ME, IF YOU UNDERSTAND. JOB 38:4
Ephesians 1:3-10 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfilment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. 3
FREEING TRUTH His glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves (EPHESIANS 1:6).
A
Christian girl had been feeling down about herself. She was unhappy about her life in general, but she was especially fed up with how little she seemed to be growing in her relationship with God.
One morning she looked at herself for a long time in the mirror. Then, very slowly, she said, “God, I thank You that I am myself and can never be anybody else.” That was her moment of freeing self-acceptance. She realised that by God’s design she was an absolutely unique person, a human being who belonged to Jesus and could never be replaced or copied. Do you give yourself a hard time because you aren’t as close to God as you think you ought to be? Do you see yourself as a second-rate Christian, falling short when you compare yourself to the rest of your youth group? Do you struggle to pray, to share Jesus, to get involved at church? We can move beyond self-rejection and enjoy selfacceptance when we put our lives in Jesus’ hands. “In [Jesus] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (EPHESIANS 1:7). We are accepted and chosen by Him (VV.4-6). If Jesus has accepted us, surely we can accept ourselves, as we are! He will do the work of bringing about change in us in His perfect timing. That’s the freeing truth. VG
To pray about . . .
Father, I often doubt that You could ever use someone like me. But You sent Your Son to die for me, so please forgive my doubts. Help me trust You, wherever You take me.
IN [JESUS] WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RICHES OF GOD’S GRACE. EPHESIANS 1:7
1 John 2:28-3:3 28 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. 29
If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.
3 1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
FINDING MYSELF We know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is (1 JOHN 2:2).
W
ho am I? That’s the question an old stuffed animal asks himself in the book Nothing. Left in a dusty corner of an attic, the animal hears people call him “nothing” and thinks that’s his name: Nothing. Meeting with other animals sparks memories. Nothing realises that he used to have a tail, whiskers and stripes. But it’s not until he meets a tabby cat who helps him find his way home that Nothing remembers who he truly is: a stuffed cat named Toby. His owner fixes him up, sewing on new ears, tail, whiskers and stripes. Whenever I read this book, I think about my own identity. Who am I? John, writing to Christians, said that God has called us His children (1 JOHN 3:1). We don’t fully understand that identity, but when we see Jesus, we will be like him (V.2). Just like Toby the cat, one day we will fully enjoy the identity we were meant to have as members of God’s family—which has been blurred by sin. For now, we can understand who we are in part, and we can recognise the image of God in each other. But one day, when we see Jesus, we will be perfect, not just looking like God’s children, but living like it too. We will be made new. AP
Thinking it over . . .
Where do I find my identity? According to the Bible, how does God view me? Check out John 15:15, Galatians 3:23-29 and Ephesians 1:1-2:10.
IN CHRIST JESUS YOU ARE ALL CHILDREN OF GOD THROUGH FAITH. GALATIANS 3:26
Romans 8:9-17 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
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12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
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ALWAYS A CHILD OF GOD For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God (ROMANS 8:14).
I
remember one particular church service I went to with my parents. During one prayer, the service leader told us all to hold hands. As I stood, with one hand in my mum’s and one in my dad’s, I was hit with the realisation that I will always be their child. Even as I got older and maybe lived elsewhere, nothing would change that.
I then realised that not only am I their daughter, but I will also always be a child of God. Paul wanted the people in the church at Rome to understand that their identity was based on being adopted members of God’s family (ROMANS 8:15). Because they had been born of the Spirit (V.14), they didn’t need to keep living like they were trapped by their old ways. Instead, through the gift of the Spirit in them, they were “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ” (V.17). To those who follow Jesus, what difference does this make? All the difference! Our identity as children of God changes how we see ourselves and the world. Knowing that we are part of God’s family helps us to step out of our comfort zone as we follow Him. We don’t need to be afraid of the other kids at school—because God, our Father, is with us! And we don’t need to worry what others think of us—God has called us His own children! Today, why not think about what it means to be God’s child?
ABP
To pray about . . .
Father, help me to live out my identity as Your child. Help me to live by Your Spirit, that I might share Your love and hope.
SEE WHAT GREAT LOVE THE FATHER HAS LAVISHED ON US, THAT WE SHOULD BE CALLED CHILDREN OF GOD! 1 JOHN 3:1
Matthew 4:18-25 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’ 20 At once they left their nets and followed him. 18
21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and illness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralysed; and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him. 23
WHO ARE YOU? “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people” (MATTHEW 4:19).
I
f asked, “Who are you?” my guess is that you would tell me a little about yourself and what you do. “I’m at secondary school”, “My favourite subject is history” or “I play football”. But that’s not really who you are—it’s what you do. Which leads to the question: If what you do is who you are, who will you be when you stop doing it?!
Who you really are is found in your relationship to Jesus. Our identity with Him should drive how we live. Take Matthew, for example. As a tax collector during the rule of the Roman Empire, his life was driven by greed. But everything changed the day Jesus showed up and invited Matthew to follow Him (MATTHEW 9:9). Suddenly Matthew had a whole new identity as one of Jesus’ friends! And he wasn’t the only one. We also read about four fishermen in Matthew 4:18-25—Peter, Andrew, James and John—who left their nets to follow Him. Jesus is amazing, and He is still looking for more people to join Him. He wants to make something of your life by giving you the identity and purpose of being His friend. It doesn’t mean stopping doing your school work and your hobbies, but it does mean that you will do everything—all of life—with and for Him. So next time someone asks, “Who are you?” you can tell them, “I’m a follower of Jesus”! JS
Thinking it over . . .
What do you say when people ask who you are? What might it look like if the first thing you told people about yourself was, “I’m a follower of Jesus”?
JOIN WITH ME IN SUFFERING, LIKE A GOOD SOLDIER OF CHRIST JESUS. 2 TIMOTHY 2:3
FOCUS ARTICLE
THE DAY MY INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT WAS HACKED A
couple of days ago, I woke up to loads of messages on my phone telling me that my Instagram account had been hacked.
After I’d gone to bed the night before, my account had been taken over by an unknown person who started to upload photos in my name. It was really upsetting to see strange photos of ads for phone covers in an unknown language on my Instagram feed. In just one night, I had lost my Instagram identity which I had painstakingly built over years. I couldn’t control what was being uploaded because the account had been taken over. The user settings had been tampered with so that while my feed was still viewable, I was logged out.
I tried everything I knew: changing my log-in details, requesting a password reset and reporting the user to Instagram itself. In the meantime, more and more people were messaging me about the situation, flooding my phone with screenshots of my hijacked account, making me even more anxious. Frantic, I paced up and down my room mumbling to myself, “What am I going to do?” Then a friend came round and asked me a question that stopped me in my tracks. “What are you so anxious about? It’s only an Instagram account.” My immediate reaction was to shout back, “It’s not just an Instagram account!” It was my Instagram account! Filled with memories and my personality. I worried that I would never be able to get any of this back, and at that moment, the loss felt too big. Yet, I knew my friend was right. It was only an Instagram account. Why was I getting so frustrated and upset? After spending a whole day without access to Instagram, I discovered the answer. My account meant so much to me because it had become my public identity. It was a collection of photos I had directed, edited and shared that I believed represented my life. Not that this identity was false, but it was something that took a lot of work to keep up. In carefully selecting, editing and making every effort to make my feed look effortless, I had allowed the process to become a major part of who I was. The fact that I was so upset about not being able to access my account also showed me how much time I had been spending on it, to the point where I was totally obsessed with it. This entire episode revealed how easily I had been distracted from my walk with God. It frightened me that something seemingly harmless could use up so much of my time, emotions and energy. I had stressed over an identity that was shallow and temporary, instead of rejoicing over how I had been made right with God through Jesus’ death on the cross. A day later, Instagram restored my account. All the strange photos were removed, and I got access to my feed again. While I still do not know how my account had been hacked into, the episode served as a glaring reminder of how my attitude towards Instagram had to change. What I had once thought of as my public identity, will now simply be a place to share my life in Jesus and appreciate what others put up. It’s great to have my account back, but what’s greater is the unchanging, un-hackable, unshakable identity that I have in Jesus as God’s own child!
Scripture taken from Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved. © 2019 by Our Daily Bread Ministries. All rights reserved.
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