The You … You Are: Who Are You?

The theme song for the TV show “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” was written and recorded by the band the Who. The chorus, which is the title, asks a simple, but profound question that many people spend many years trying to answer:

Who are you?
Who, who, who, who?

Do you know who you are? Or put another way, “Have you ever met yourself?” It’s critical to know yourself because all you do in life flows from whom you are. But many people never take the time to consider the question, “Who are you?” Plato famously wrote, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Perhaps it’s time for you to meet yourself.

Pastor Bill Hybels says, “You are a treasured child of the Most High God” – and so you are. It’s a statement that applies to all people, believers and unbelievers alike.  God created each person as a unique expression of His love. You were made by God; you were made for God; and through Christ, you were made to be with God forever. But who is “the you … you are?”

The car frame is the first part to travel down the assembly line. Workers add various components as the vehicle moves from station to station. Each new part plays a different, but essential role to the operation of the automobile. When the finished product emerges, it is a unique creation of craftsmanship – a one-of-a-kind expression of its designers, engineers, and builders.

In the same way God served as architect, engineer, and builder in creating you. He included various component parts that you need to live the life He has planned for you. Among other things, God gave you a specific temperament, certain natural abilities, and a particular passion to make a difference.

Once you are born, God has continued to mold and refine you through your life experiences.  Some experiences were preplanned by God as part of His perfect plan for your life. For example, God chose when you were born and the day you will die.

Other experiences occur because of the decisions of others. For instance, you didn’t choose to downsize the company, but losing your job affects you drastically.

Finally, some life experiences occur because of the choices you make – both wise and unwise decisions. For instance, you choose your spouse and your career. Each decision will affect your life for better or worse.

Although God didn’t make these decisions, or cause these experiences, He knew in advance what you would go through. Then He wove them – the good and the bad – into the fabric of your life story. And the incredible part is that everything that happens in your life is used of God for your good. It may not seem like it at the time, but God uses even the bad things that happen to mold and shape you into the you … you are. Everything that occurs in your life figures into God’s plan for your life.

Finally, at the moment you ask Jesus Christ to be your Savior and Lord, God gives you one or more spiritual gifts. These are ways the Holy Spirit works through you to serve others, and are the very reason God put you on earth.

According to the Bible you were “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14) and “God’s masterpiece” (Ephesians 2:10 NLT). This series will examine the various components of the the you … you are.

© 2011 Designed to Serve®