If You Have to Tell Someone Who You Are…Then You Aren’t
The famous actor Gregory Peck once was standing in line with a friend, waiting for a table in a crowded Los Angeles restaurant. They had been waiting for some time; the diners seemed to be taking their time eating, and new tables weren’t opening up very fast. They weren’t even that close to the front of the line. Peck’s friend became impatient, and he said to Gregory, “Why don’t you tell the maître d’ who you are?” Gregory Peck responded with great wisdom.
“If you have to tell them who you are, then you aren’t.”
We all have this natural built in desire to be somebody. It doesn’t matter if your and introvert or extrovert, you want to be known. It may surface in different ways, but we all want to be seen.
The problems arise when we start thinking we’re more than we really are and that we are the source of that greatness. In Luke 18:9-14 Jesus tells about a Pharisee that had fallen into this trap. He sees himself as being better than the tax collector.
It isn’t about who’s better, it’s about WHO’S we are.
- God knows who we are – He knew us before we were born, and has a plan for us. He knows everything we think and feel even before we do. We can’t hide anything from God.
- God accepts us for who we are – there’s nothing we can do that God won’t forgive. The important thing to remember is that we must ask for that forgiveness. He knows our ungodliness and loves us anyway.
- God never leaves us as who we are – if we believe and accept His teaching we will be transformed. He doesn’t just rescue us from Hell, He prepares us for Heaven. This transformation doesn’t happen overnight, it’s a lifelong journey.
We can get caught up in the world around us and think we know who we are, or who we want to be. Be careful that this is the same person that God has designed you to be. You get to decide who’s you’re going to be.