Who do you say I am?

Who do you say I am? (Full Version)

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joy2give2u -> Who do you say I am? (8/12/2008 3:04:34 PM)
One day when Jesus and his disciples were traveling to villages around Caesarea he asked them, "Who do people say I am?" Their answers varied from Elijah to John the Baptist. Then Jesus asked them "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" I have been thinking quite a bit about this question the last few days. Why would Jesus ask them who others said he was let alone who they say he was. I would think he would already know since he could see into their hearts. Is it possible he did, not so he would know the answer , so that they would take a deep look at their own hearts? Is it possible he used the question as a way of making them aware of their answer? I wonder what Jesus would say to me if I turned the question around. If I asked Jesus, Lord who do people say I am? Who do you say I am? I wonder which answer would seem more familiar to me. I wonder if one of the reasons we singles have struggled in relationships is because ,for so long, we have aligned more with who others say we are then who Christ says we are? Have you ever asked the Lord......Who do you say I am? What did he say? Do you see yourself more as who he says you are or who others say you are? Do you think you live your life based more on who others say you are or who Jesus says you are? If so has this played a role in your singleness?

Focusing -> RE: Who do you say I am? (8/12/2008 3:30:10 PM)
quote: I wonder if one of the reasons we singles have struggled in relationships is because ,for so long, we have aligned more with who others say we are then who Christ says we are? I did for all those years I was married. I'm still working my way out of that kind of thinking. It's a long, slow, sometimes very painful, process. quote: Have you ever asked the Lord......Who do you say I am? What did He say? Yes. He says I am His. [:)] quote: Do you see yourself more as who he says you are or who others say you are? I am learning day by day to see myself more as who He says I am. Thank goodness for good friends and accountability partners who hear me out, listen to my rambling, hear my frustrations ... and then remind me Who I belong to and Whose I am. quote: Do you think you live your life based more on who others say you are or who Jesus says you are? Ummm ... well ... I attempt to live my life based upon who He says I am. But I admit there are times when the past comes back to haunt me, the old habits of being a people pleaser, the one who is there to change and be what they want. There are days when it's a real struggle. quote: If so has this played a role in your singleness? As far as my still being single? I have no idea ... I haven't seriously considered not being single just yet ... but when the time comes, I'll let you know. [;)] btw ... an excellent topic!

joy2give2u -> RE: Who do you say I am? (8/12/2008 4:05:00 PM)
Last month was a very hot month for refining if you know what I mean [:D] At one point I was asking God to reveal to me all the ungodly beliefs I had and then asking Him to speak His truth to me to replace the lie which had just been revealed. I was amazed what happened when I actually took the time to ask God to show them to me........he did. One of the areas God showed me I was believing lies was in the area of unworthiness. Now before last month I would have told you I had low self esteem compared to what I would like but compared to others I didn't. I really liked who I was or at least thought I did. As I was praying about unworthiness and asking God to forgive me for partnering with satan's lie that I was unworthy of love.....I asked God to show me His truth. I had a picture in my mind. Jesus was reaching out His hand towards me. He had a huge smile on His face. Encouraging me to come so he could draw me to a mirror. He said, Come Dawn I want you to look in the mirror and see what I see when I see you. I panicked I did not want to look in the mirror.........I was afraid of looking in the mirror...........I was afraid of what I would see. I told the two ladies I was praying with that I had to leave the room for a moment. I did I went in the bathroom and stood sideways beside the mirror.........I wanted to look in it.........I wanted to see what God saw in me but I couldn't I was there for a long time.........finally I took a deep breath and turned. I looked in the mirror and saw the ugliest thing I have ever seen before. Until that moment I never realized how I really saw myself..........how much I had partnered and believed Satan's lies based on the mistakes of my life........and how unworthy of love I saw myself..........it was a transforming moment. I went back in the room.........and the two other ladies prayed God would speak truth to me........he gave them some powerful words and pictures of how God sees me but all I could hear was one word in my mind.......I knew it was not God........but the word was "reality" Since then I have spent a lot of time asking God to show me the root cause of this belief and to speak truth to me......truth that I can reprogram into my mind by saying over and over when I recognize a lie. The last few days I have been asking Jesus..........Who do you say I am? I have not looked in the mirror with Jesus yet but I am getting closer..........I am beginning to know in my heart the answer to question Jesus asked..........Who do I say he is.......which has a direct correlation to who I see Jesus saying I am....... Goodness I can't believe I shared all that......... Good thing I am on my last days here LOL............If I stayed to long I might share way more then anyone would care to read LOL

John_O -> RE: Who do you say I am? (8/12/2008 4:23:11 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: joy2give2u Have you ever asked the Lord......Who do you say I am? What did he say? Don't have to ask. His word tells me I'm his beloved child. quote: Do you see yourself more as who he says you are or who others say you are? I see myself closer to what Jesus saus than to what others say. I've never been really influenced by what others say. Usually I don't care what they say unless it's someone I've chosen to be important to me. quote: Do you think you live your life based more on who others say you are or who Jesus says you are? Jesus. quote: If so has this played a role in your singleness? Not at all. But then I'm an odd case anyway (most folk would stress the "odd" I'm sure)

Focusing -> RE: Who do you say I am? (8/12/2008 4:34:24 PM)
Thank you for sharing it, Joy. I've gone through a refining process as well, a rather intense one, over these last couple months. And what I realized was happening was precisely what you have hit on in this thread ... am I who He wants me to be, or am I busy trying to "fit in"? I don't want to "fit in" ... to please the people who post here on these forums or in real life. I want to please God. He is the only One Who matters. I truly believe reaching this thought process is important. As long as I, as a single person, try to "fit in" to please others at whatever expense to my relationship with God, I will never be in a position to be in a truly real, honest, heart-to-heart truthful relationship, one that binds me to him through Him.

joy2give2u -> RE: Who do you say I am? (8/12/2008 4:37:29 PM)
quote: Don't have to ask. His word tells me I'm his beloved child. I didn't have to ask my daddy what he thought of me either ......I knew I was his child and he loved me........but it sure was nice when he chose to tell me specifically the things he saw in me........ I remember once my father told me when he looked at me he saw a daughter who loved her father very much........gosh now I am all water eyed.........Thanks to sharon maries post and this thought..........I can't tell you how much it means to me to know that my daddy saw me as someone who loved him so much........ It means just as much if not more when my heavenly father says to me.......my dawn I see you as my daughter who loves me so much....... quote: I've never been really influenced by what others say. Usually I don't care what they say unless it's someone I've chosen to be important to me. I would have answered the same way in the past..........but for me it was not true.

LabGuy -> RE: Who do you say I am? (8/12/2008 4:43:34 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: joy2give2u Goodness I can't believe I shared all that......... Thank you for doing so. This area is a huge struggle for me. Especially having to face it alone. -Robb

ladybuglvr -> RE: Who do you say I am? (8/12/2008 5:44:28 PM)
I don't see myself as God see me. i suffered through a lot of teasin g growing up. It has taken years to get over that pain. I still have the names I was called imbedded on my brain. That is who I thought I was. I know now that I am not those names However, and I've come a long way in the past few years. I love Third Day's song You are Mine. It speaks to this situation. My prayer is to continue to view myself as God does.

mutinywxgirl -> RE: Who do you say I am? (8/12/2008 9:29:58 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: ladybuglvr I don't see myself as God see me. i suffered through a lot of teasing growing up. It has taken years to get over that pain. I still have the names I was called imbedded on my brain. That is who I thought I was. I know now that I am not those names However, and I've come a long way in the past few years. ....... My prayer is to continue to view myself as God does. ^^^^^^^ that's me.......I still have huge self-esteem issues as a result. God and I are working on it. [:)]

joy2give2u -> RE: Who do you say I am? (8/12/2008 10:56:06 PM)
quote: Thank you for doing so. Thank you Rob and Sam for the encouragement. quote: . I've never been really influenced by what others say. Usually I don't care what they say unless it's someone I've chosen to be important to me. Asking God who do others say I am does not mean it has to be something negative. The things people said about Jesus were not negative...unless being Elijah or John the Baptist was bad. They saw Him in a positive light just not his true identity. Yes the bible shows us who we are and tells us we are children of God. It begins to establish our identity as a child of God.......but like children in a family each one of us was created unique and special.........we are blended together with the Holy Spirit to make a flavor so different and unlike another....... When we go to the Lord and ask Him, Lord who am I to you, it is like a wine taster savoring and exploring a very special wine......he can taste, see, smell everything which makes up the flavor of the wine........in a bottle of wine he can pick out what make it different and unique from the rest of the bottles..........and if he is good he can tell you the unique flavor of the barrel the wine was stored in..... We are a wonderful bottle of wine the bible tells us we are special but only God can tell us our individual unique flavor...............

Focusing -> RE: Who do you say I am? (8/12/2008 11:33:12 PM)
quote: We are a wonderful bottle of wine the bible tells us we are special but only God can tell us our individual unique flavor............... This made me smile and have a pleasant childhood memory. I was not just my father's daughter. I was his princess. He told me. He didn't tell either of my sisters that. It was a special thing between us. I think our relationship with God is like that ... unique from any other relationship He has with any of His other children. I love this verse: "... I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it" Revelation 2:17 How exciting is that? Each and every one of us will have a name that no one else will know. THAT's how special we are!

joy2give2u -> RE: Who do you say I am? (8/13/2008 10:18:24 AM)
quote: I love this verse: "... I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it" Revelation 2:17 Sam what a great verse.........and so clearly makes my point......... Only the Lord knows our new name, our new identity, which is so different then anyone else.......... The bible can and does tell us how special we are, how loved we are, and defines who we are as adopted children of the Lord.......but only the Lord can share with us our new name........ A name to the Lord is not just a name but it is your identity.........only the Lord knows you well enough to know your full identity. Thank you Sam You know as I am sitting her typing I am smiling in wonder...........to think there is not nor has ever been another individual who is exactly like me.......and to think God knows me completely and only he really knows the full, complete, truthful picture of who I am..........not even I do............. I smile as I think of the love in His voice as he shares with me all the wonderful flavors he taste in me.........and how much he enjoys who I have become......... I am so glad God is willing to answer my question...... Lord who do you say I am..........

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