The great Greek Philosopher Aristotle once said, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom”. Beloved in Christ, how we order our lives reflects how we perceive things, determines our actions, and influences our decisions, points of view, beliefs, thoughts, fears, worries, perceptions, etc. It is important to note that being aware of who we really are does us a lot of good because it will help us order our lives in the right direction.
Jesus, in the gospel of Matthew Chapter 16:13-20, asked his disciples two simple but loaded questions: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (Matthew 16:13) and “But who do you say that I am?” (Verse 15) the first question was quite simple for the disciples because it was about what people were saying but the second one was about the disciples themselves who they think Jesus is. Fortunately, Simon was able to answer this question correctly. Jesus was pleased with Simon and gave him the name πέτρος , which means rock or stone. Assured him that he would build his church on this rock, empowered him, but made it clear that his answer was not revealed to him by man but by God. Peter received elevation from Jesus Christ to become the leader of His church on earth.
“And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” (Matthew 16:14)
These are the disciples’ answers to the first question. Our life on this earth is lived not to please ourselves but to please God and him alone because he has the authority and power over us. Also, everything was created by Him and for Him. The opinions of people about us will vary because they will say things about us based on what they know, and their biases will come into play. What is important is what God is saying about us. The depth of God is far beyond the comprehension of mortal man; the wisdom and knowledge of God cannot be challenged, and no one can penetrate the motives or understand his methods, so he is the one we must please. Therefore, it’s all about what God says about us, not man. In knowing ourselves, we must always rely on God to teach and tell us who we are because only God can give us the perfect file. Over-reliance on people or ourselves to know who we are rather than God will lead us astray, limit our capabilities and put too much emphasis on our weaknesses. Jesus told Simon Peter,
“And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.”
Do not allow flesh and blood to reveal who you are; let the spirit of God do that. We have all been appointed by God to do his work; he has also empowered us, and as he said to Peter, he is saying the same thing to you and me:
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
(Matthew 16:19)
This is very clear to all of us that we can do all things through Christ who empowers us so we should not be afraid. In His appointed time, he will elevate us and position us in a place of his choice, empowering us to do his work because if he opens, none can shut, and when he closes, none can open.
Who we are in the eyes of God? It is more important than who we are in the eyes of man. The opinions of men do not matter; what matters is who we are in the eyes of God.