1 John 3:2 “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.” [NIV]
“Politics is what we do. It’s not who we are.” I love that quote from the late Barbara Bush. It expresses what I believe to be profound wisdom: Life is not about what we do; it’s about who we are becoming. Although her family found great success in “what they did,” she understood good character meant far more than any accomplishment, even if that accomplishment included having the prestigious position of leading the whole free world.
As followers of Christ, we should know this. Jesus focused far more on building virtue, than on constructing résumés. He taught us to be kind and generous, faithful and forgiving. He encouraged us to have childlike faith, unquenchable hope and unbreakable love. In fact, he said our greatest aspiration should be to love God and people with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (Matthew 22:37).
Our successes don’t define us. Neither do our failures. After all, they’re only temporary. A culture which makes heroes in a day can also destroy them in a minute. We can enjoy our accomplishments and learn from our mistakes, but not set up shop in their shadows. We have bigger fish to fry.
Scripture says those who follow Christ are children of God. Who we are has not yet been revealed. But who we are becoming has. We are becoming like Jesus Christ. We are becoming love. All that masquerades as our identity is being tempered with what we have been created for all along.
So although I might teach as a professor, might sell a few books as an author, and might serve in the church in a variety of capacities, these things that I do don’t define me. They simply, but wonderfully, give me opportunity to express who God says I am.
Friend, make no mistake. First and foremost, you are God’s child. As his representative on the earth, you have the privilege of revealing to every person he puts on your path what he’s like. You are a VIP. Yep, that’s who you are!