Word of the Quarter—Who Do You Want to Be?

Here is the Word of the Quarter.

Last quarter, we began writing from the overarching theme of “Becoming the Authentic You.” This is a theme that will run through four issues. The first step to becoming the authentic you, which we wrote about last issue, was acknowledging where you were and taking stock in where you were. We hope that you took the time to do so and are ready for the next step in the process of becoming your authentic self.

Now that we have a gauge of where we currently are, the next step is figuring out who we want to be, or more importantly, who God says we are. It is an important step to know who we are and who God says that we are. When we know this, we can begin to visualize who we are becoming and what needs to be done to get there. We can focus our attentions and efforts to becoming that person and align our focus and priorities to achieving our goal of getting there.

And let’s face it; there are plenty of distractions around us. We have so many different roles and responsibilities in our lives that it is often hard to just be in the moment. We have different people wanting different things from us and expecting us to be who they need us to be at that moment in time.

We also have many voices telling us who we are and who we are not. These voices have shaped us since childhood, and they have impacted what we think we can achieve and accomplish. People have told us what we can’t do, and quieting the voices and sorting out the layers of damage the voices have caused is a feat in itself. But you are more than you know. As the Bible says, you are more than a conqueror.

In a scene with the disciples, Jesus asked them, “Whom do men say that I am?” They answered, “John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets.” Jesus then asked, “Whom say ye that I am?” Then Peter succinctly stated who Jesus was. Peter was able to get to the heart of who Jesus was because he was intimate with Christ. And who better to tell you who you are than the person who created you. The person who invested gifts and talents in you. Talents He wants you to use in His Kingdom.

Part of knowing who you are in God is becoming more intimate with Him through prayer and studying the Word of God. The Bible tells us exactly who we are. As we learn more, we become freer. And this freedom allows our gifts and talents to flow. You can live out your gift and call.

As we continue in the overarching theme of becoming our authentic selves, we invite you to move closer to God. The closer you move toward God, the more you move toward who you really are. And that person has amazing gifts and talents that are needed to help others in their journeys.