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In 1 Chronicles 17:16, King David, contemplating the greatness of God, declares “Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house that You have brought me this far?”  At one time, King David was only a little shepherd boy tending sheep in the mountains, and if not for the greatness and faithfulness of God, he would have never become the king of Israel. Only God could take a small unknown shepherd boy and make him king.  In fact, in verse 20 of the same chapter in 1 Chronicles 17, King David says, “O Lord, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You.” In this place of humble spirit and personal reflection, David declares how BIG God is, how little he is, and how GOOD God is to make a little man into a big man in Him.

Leadership Principle #1: If We Don’t Spend Time with God, We Can Forget Who We Really Are In Him

How unfortunate it is that each of us can so easily forget who we really are in Christ as we go through life on a daily basis. Personally, I think it is because we all have 4 different areas of life identity that we are constantly faced with each day.  These four life identities are best represented by the Johari Window model which defines the 4 identities as follows: the ARENA identity, the FACADE identity, the BLIND identity, and the UNKNOWN identity.

  •  The ARENA identity is that part of our life identity that is KNOWN TO OTHERS and is also KNOWN TO OURSELVES. It represents the definitions of our life where we work, play, and live life openly and publicly at home, work, and the community and everyone knows about that part of our life. For instance, most people who know me, also know that I am a husband, father, pastor, business leader, speaker, and writer – such life identities for me represent my ARENA identity.
  • The BLIND identity is that part of our life identity that is KNOWN TO OTHERS, but is NOT KNOWN TO OURSELVES. It represents the definitions of our life that are very clear and seen by others; however, this part of our life will go undetected to us until something or someone exposes these blind spots to us. For instance, TV shows like Candid Camera, Undercover Boss, and even American Idol are all great examples of people having their potential blind spots in life – which everyone else can plainly see – finally exposed to them on a personally uncensored basis.
  •  The FAÇADE identity is that part of our life identity that is NOT KNOWN TO OTHERS, but is KNOWN TO OURSELVES. It represents the definitions of our life that we mask in front of others because we don’t want anyone to know about that secret part of our life.  For instance, if someone were to take a look at our check book, credit card transactions, and internet history, they would potentially discover some things about our FACADE life identity that very few people, if any at all, would know about, especially if we live life without any accountability partners who sincerely care about us.
  • And lastly, the UNKNOWN identity is that part of our life identity that is NOT KNOWN TO OTHERS and is NOT KNOWN TO OURSELVES. It represents the definitions of our life identity which have not yet been discovered or defined because they reside in the deepest part of our life identity that only God knows about and can reveal.  This is the place of life identity represented in Jeremiah 1:5 which states, “Before I [God] formed you in the womb I knew you” and Jeremiah 29:11 which states, “For I [God] know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” The only way we will ever be able to discover this part of our life identity is if we submit ourselves before God, like King David, reflecting on how great God is and asking Him the humble personal reflective question found in Psalms 144:3 “Lord, what is man [who am I], that You take knowledge of him [me]? Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him [me]?”

Leadership Principle #2: If We Forget Who We Are In Christ, We Also Forget Christ

In his book titled, Soulprint, I like what Mark Batterson has to say about discovering our UNKNOWN identity quoted as follows: “Until you see yourself through the All-Seeing Eyes of God, you will never get a vision of who you can become.” In reading this, I am also reminded of the scene in The Lion King where Simba has been running from his life and Raifiki brings him to a water pool where Simba sees his father in his reflection upon the water. In a moment of Simba’s despair, Raifiki encourages him to look deeper.  In going deeper into the place of his unknown identity, Simba finds his father, Mufasa, who says:

“Simba, you have forgotten me.  You have forgotten who you are and so you have forgotten me. You are more than what you have become. You must take your place in the circle of life. Remember who you are!” Click here to watch this scene.

So then let me ask this question. Have we become like Simba, forgetting who we are in the Lord and so forgetting our heavenly Father?  As believers in Christ, you and I are children of the King of kings and Lord of lords, joint heirs with Christ in the kingdom of God. We are royalty!  May we never forget who we are and whose we are because it matters in the kingdom of God and it matters to the world around us. Not sure…then just take a look at the recent Royal Wedding and contemplate the significance of our Royal Wedding with Christ.  If it matters for the son of Prince Charles, it most certainly matters for the sons and daughters of the Most High King!

Leadership Principle #3:  No Matter What, We Can Always Remember Who We Are In Christ

Therefore, let me emphatically remind you from the Word of God of who we are in Christ as taken from the chapter headings in Neal T. Anderson’s book titled, Who I Am In Christ.  Unfortunately, I did not know the author of this material when I shared this leadership message in our staff Chapel service earlier this week; however, my wife has just pointed out to me that the little reference card that I’ve been keeping in my Bible for so many years was in fact given to me by her and taken from Neale Anderson’s book. I am happy to share it with you knowing that freely I have received this little reminder card of Who I Am In Christ and freely do I share it with you to help you remember who you are in Christ as well.

WHO I AM IN CHRIST (Authored by Neal T. Anderson)

I Am Accepted In Christ

I am God’s child.  (John 1:12)                        

I am Christ’s friend. (John 15:15)                      

I have been justified.  (Romans 5:1)     

I am united with the Lord and one with Him in spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:17)      

I have been bought with a price; I belong to God. (1 Corinthians 6:20)  

I am a member of Christ’s body. (1 Corinthians 12:27)    

I am a saint. (Ephesians 1:1)           

I have been adopted as God’s child. (Ephesians 1:5)         

I have direct access to Good through the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 2:18)              

I have been redeemed and forgiven off all my sins. (Colossians 1:14)          

I am complete in Christ. (Colossians 2:10)            

I Am Secure In Christ

I am free forever from condemnation. (Romans 8:1, 2)            

I am assured that all things work together for good. (Romans 8:28)              

I am free from any condemning charges against me. (Romans 8:33, 34)        

I cannot be separated from the love of God. (Romans 8:35)               

I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God. (2 Corinthians 1:21)      

I am hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3)          

I am confident that the good work God has begun in me will be perfected. (Philippians 1:6)           

I am a citizen of heaven. (Philippians 3:20) 

I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound [saved] mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)            

I can find grace and mercy in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)             

I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me. (1 John 5:18)            

I Am Significant In Christ

I am the salt and light of the earth. (Matthew 5:13, 14)   

I am a branch of the true vine, a channel of His life. (John 15:1, 5)                

I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit. (John 15:16)                  

I am a personal witness of Christ’s. (Acts 1:8)                       

I am God’s temple. (1 Corinthians 3:16)    

I am a minister of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:17-20)

I am God’s coworker. (2 Corinthians 6:1)        

I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm. (Ephesians 2:6)               

I am God’s workmanship. (Ephesians 2:10)             

I may approach God with freedom and confidence. (Ephesians 3:12)            

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)         

Have a blessed Make It Happen day!

Who Am I Copyright 2011, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint the leadership article, Who Am I, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.