Who am I?

Scriptures: “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God.” (Romans 1:1)

Many years ago, when I was still a student, I used to work in a restaurant. One day, an old couple came to eat in our restaurant. They were our old customers because they came often and, because of that, they had come to know many of us working there.

That particular evening, however, they came a little later than usual. They ordered their favorite dishes. Then, after they finished eating, they chatted with us. In our conversation, the husband all of a sudden said, “You know what? We’ve got a new business card.” Then he took out of his pocket a business card. When we all took a look at the card, we all burst into laughter. The business card, first of all, had his name and his wife’s name printed in the center. Then, there were four things printed on the four corners: No Money, No Job, No Friends, and No Estates.

It was a very unusual way of introducing themselves who they were. I think they printed that business card just for fun. Over the years, in many different occasions, I have heard different people introducing themselves. Some people would go in great length to talk about themselves and others would simply state their names. I suppose that all depend on what they want others to know about them.

Paul, the great apostle to gentiles, in the beginning of his letter to the churches in Rome, introduced himself as, first of all, “a servant of Christ Jesus.” (Romans 1:1) He had a name, Paul. But, he seemed to think that the name by itself could not explain who he was. He seemed to define who he was by the relationship he had with our Lord Jesus. Then he introduced himself by the work entrusted to him, “an apostle … set apart for the gospel of God.” (Romans 1:1)

Throughout his epistles, Paul kept his relationship with Lord Jesus and the commission given him in the center of all his ministries. It was his relationship with Christ Jesus that humbled and energized him. In a different epistle, he said, “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:8) Christ was everything to him, including defining who he was. He saw in Christ, more than a Savior, the meaning of his very existence. When there’s meaning, there’s hope and there’s joy. The longer the meaning last, the longer the hope and joy last. Paul anchored his life in Christ, the everlasting cornerstone, and this made it possible for him to rejoice time and again in the darkest hours of his life.

Out of this relationship he had with Christ, it’s only natural that he considered the commission given him by God the top priority in life which empowered and guided him toward the goal set forth before him. In the same epistle to the church in Philippi, he said, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14) The goal of his life was not set by him or any other human being, but by God in Christ Jesus. So was the value and significance of his efforts toward his goal. His zeal in sharing with unbelievers the good news of God’s salvation and with people of God the truth of God’s heart is evident in every epistle he wrote, including the personal letter to Philemon. It’s like a blazing torch that ignites every heart that comes close to it.

When we marvel at what Paul was able to accomplish in life, I wonder if that all started from his view of who he was. If this is the way Apostle Paul viewed and presented himself, I wonder how we would view and present ourselves? Should I introduce myself as “Peter, the IT guy”? Or, should I introduce myself as “Peter, a Christian making a living in the IT business?” Is Christ the defining point of who I am? Of what I do?

Prayer Request:
For restaurant workers

Prayers:
The Creator of life, our Lord Almighty, as the winds of this world blow at us from all directions, we ask that You help us to, first of all, remember who we are in relation to You. We are Your children called to bear Your image in our lives. We are Your subjects ordained to do the work of Your Kingdom. Help us to be steadfast in Your teaching and guidance so we may be living examples of meaningful life in Christ Jesus. Hear our pray as we ask in the name of our Lord Jesus, A-men!