Who Do You Think You Are?
What is your immediate response to this question: “Who do you think you are?”
Is your response about your job or role? “I’m a business owner, I’m a doctor, I’m a teacher, I’m a professional athlete, I’m a parent.” Those are temporary answers; your business might fail or be sold; you retire; you get cut; your kids leave home (yeah, you’re still a parent, but you have an empty nest).
“Who do you think you are?” is an identity attack and most likely accompanied with a sneer and an implied accusation.
As a Christian, your core identity is a chosen child of God, redeemed, reconciled, gifted, sealed, and destined for eternal life.
How should we react to identity attacks?
Jesus
“If you are the Son of God…” (Matthew 4:3, etc.)
“You have a demon.” (John 7:20, John 8:52)
Jesus, of course, knew exactly who He was, where He came from, and where He was going. He answered Satan with scripture (Matthew 4:1-11). He answered the Jews with the declaration that He was I AM. (John 8:54-58)
The Apostles
Paul was called crazy (Acts 26:24).
In general, the apostles were reviled, persecuted, called and treated like dregs, the scum of the world (1 Corinthians 4:12-13).
What did they do? They kept going. They rejoiced they were worthy to suffer for His name (Acts 5:41).
Nehemiah
When the Jews were rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, their identity was attacked. They were mocked and call feeble. (Nehemiah 4:1-2).
What did they do? They finished the wall in 52 days. They kept going.
Job
Job suffered a prolonged attack on his identity. His “comforters” declared him guilty and wicked, and told him he’d gotten what he deserved.
Job thought, as did his attackers, that suffering was caused by sin. He didn’t understand because he couldn’t think of anything he’d done that caused his loss and distress. While he answered his attackers, he mainly talked to, and questioned, God.
But then God showed up and asked Job “Who do you think you are?” UH OH!
If God asks you that question, it is not a good thing!
God asked Job where he was when God laid the foundation of the earth, whether Job ever commanded the morning, and on and on. And on.
What did Job do? Job repented. Job declared God sovereign. And Job obeyed when God told Job to pray for his friends.*
Who Do You Think You Are?
How should we react to this question in its many forms?
- Be settled in who you are, and whose you are. (See Who Are You?)
- Consider the source. React differently if someone (or yourself) is asking, or if God is asking.
- Determine if you have gone awry, or overstepped your bounds, and if so, correct that.
- If you are working in the will of God, rejoice and keep going!
- Rejoice that you are worthy to suffer for Him.
If God asks, it is a reprimand.
- Confess.
- Repent.
- Submit and trust.
- Obey.
Remember your identity
You are a chosen child of God, redeemed, reconciled, gifted, sealed, and destined for eternal life.
PRESS ON.
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- Initially, they were three friends who came to comfort Job. Then, for many chapters, they were Job’s accusers and attackers. Now God called them Job’s friends. I’d like to know more about this transition back to friends.
