A Crisis of { i d e n t i t y }

      Last week I had the opportunity to speak at junior high camp. The topic I was given was "Me First! You Second?" I struggled a bit at first to think of what to speak on, but as I prayed about it God made things clear. We all know that we are to put others first, but actually doing that can be difficult at times.

      What does it look like to put others first, to love unconditionally, to humble yourself? Well God says this about it:

      "'Love the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-40)

     We always hear, "Put others first!" However, God says that we are to put Him first. What does it look like to love God with all that we are?  As Americans in the 21st century, we are so immersed in this idea of always going and always doing something, but God tells us to, "Be still, and know that I am God..." (Psalm 46:10) and "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

     God wants us, first and foremost, to find rest in His presence. He wants us to stop, take a deep breath, and just be with Him. God wants to have a personal relationship with each and every one of us. Before Christ came, the darkness of our sin separated us from God and His perfection. When Christ, a perfect sacrifice, came and gave Himself up in our place, the wall of separation was broken and we are now seen as God created us to be. We are beautiful and full of light, spotless before God.  And now, because the darkness from our mistakes has been made light through Christ's sacrifice, we are able to stand in God's presence. Not only can we talk to God, but He wants us to talk with Him.

     As we develop a relationship with Christ, we desire to follow in His footsteps. His desires become our desires, His will becomes our will, His heart becomes our heart. This is what it is like to love God with all that we have.

     Once we have established a love relationship with Christ, we now have the capacity to love others fully. Matthew 22 tells us that first we love God, then we love others as ourselves. In order to love others we must first understand how precious we are to God. Isaiah 43 says this: "But now, this is what The Lord says -- He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; YOU ARE MINE. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy one of Israel, your Savior... you are precious and honored in my sight, and I LOVE YOU.'"


     We must find our identity in Christ alone. And this only comes from a love relationship with Him. When we have this relationship with Christ and understand how precious we are to Him, we are also able to see how beautiful others are. We are given Christ's eyes and heart for people. 

     It is with humble confidence that we stand in awe of God. We are humbled by His love for us, but are overwhelmed by His greatness. "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38)


     When we are filled with the love of God, it is no longer us loving others, but rather, Christ loving them through us. This is why loving God is the first and greatest commandment, because without His love we are unable to see ourselves as He sees us. And if we cannot see His love for ourselves, how can we see His love for others? 

     1 Corinthians 13 says this: "And now I will show you the most excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge and if I have have faith to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."

     God's love enables our service and our actions to have a purpose and meaning. When someone asks us why we are helping them or caring for them, we can point to the Father, explaining that we love because He first loved us. 
   
     "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts and he knows everything." 

     Today, take time to rest in God's presence. Enjoy spending time with Him. Allow Him to remind you how precious you are, then show other people the love that He has so freely shown you!