“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light....” (1 Peter 2:9; NIV).
We often cite this Scripture, but do we really know what it means? Do we understand what it means to be of royalty? To be chosen? To declare the praises of God daily? Let’s take a quick step back to the story of Gideon. In Judges 6, when the Angel of God appears before him, he doesn’t believe what the Angel says, “...And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, 'The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!'” This is not all Gideon said; in fact, it is in this passage of Scripture that we get to understand just how low his self-esteem is. When he is told that the Lord will use his hand to deliver Israel from the Midianites, he says, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” Some of us know this very well: we think this is humility but, at times, the line is so thin that we think we are humble, yet we have no clue who we are or why God created us.
Gideon not only delivered Israel from the Midianites, but God used him to destroy the altar of Baal. How many times do we doubt ourselves because we do not know who we are? We have no clue that we carry the very breath of God inside us. I’m guilty of this, too. I cannot mention the number of times the enemy, through different situations, has tried to force his identity on me. At times, I am dislodged and become sad or angry at a situation, instead of remembering who God says I am – therein lies the strength through which I must respond to the situation at hand.
We watch the world try to impose different identities on us, and we sometimes get lost in this. Let us go back to Genesis and understand that we were created in the image and likeness of God; therefore, we have no business assuming identities that aren’t ours. At Home Affairs, each of us has a unique identity number, and we know how devastating it can be when someone steals this identity, and how much havoc it wreaks in our lives. We guard this number with everything we have, yet we do not hide the Word in our hearts, a Word that so clearly tells us who we are. Why is that? It's easy to call a friend and talk to them about situations that we are experiencing but calling on God first doesn’t seem like an option sometimes; why? What if that situation is meant to shape your ever-growing identity in Christ Jesus. Will you ever know if you don’t seek God first and allow everything else to be added unto you? Everyday situations are sent to try and shake the very core of who we are as children of God; how we respond will determine who we are.
Not only was Gideon part of a chosen people, his was a holy nation that God did not want tainted; his duty was to declare the praises of Him who called him out of darkness. This is us too! So, may we walk around with a very clear vision of WHO WE ARE!
Love
Bongi
Women of Reverence welcomes our guest contributor Bongiwe Zwane.
Bongiwe Zwane is a seasoned broadcaster and a woman after God's own heart. She's also MIPAD's Most Influential People of African Descent Class of 2022 and is passionate about the development of young men and women. A wife, mother, and daughter whose life is a Romans 8:28 testimony unfolding.