Who gets to tell you who you are?

It might be easier to remember who used to have that authority in your life. Maybe it was your family – whether they treated you someone special or as a burden, you got the message. They acted as your ‘mirror,’ in a way, reflecting how they viewed you with such power that you might still be living with those issues, for good or for bad.

You may have given authority over your self-identity to other adults, friends, the cool kids at school, even the church. Would you like to take that power away from them? Would you give it to anyone else?

My wife has that kind of power — not “over” me, but “for” me. Because of her love, I know I belong, I am safe, I am wanted. I also have some friends who can affect me deeply. Who tells you who you are?

And the Lord. Jesus has claimed me. That doesn’t mean I’m somebody special; it’s just that I’m special to him. That identity was given to me when I was baptized and it hasn’t gone away.

Sunday, we will focus on Jesus’ baptism [Matthew 3:13-17] — who told Jesus who he was — and what that could mean for us [Acts 10:34-38]. We’ll also deal with the Methodist view of Baptism.

See you there!