I was at a business conference when the presenter told the audience, “You are phenomenal!”
The speaker was Howard Partridge. “Phenomenal” is his anchor. It peppers his speech and speaks to his desire for his business and his client’s success.
Then he asked, “Who are you?” Many people responded, “phenomenal!”
But that wasn’t how I was feeling. Instead, I wrote, “I am God’s masterpiece.”
Adjectives, superlatives, and hyperbole are necessary. They are how we take ordinary concepts and make them extraordinary (see what I did there?).
We’re a work in progress.
Who are you?
When you’re asked to describe yourself in one or two words, what words come to mind?
That word or phrase forms a picture in the mind of the listener. While we may pay close attention to what we say about ourselves and what others say about us, we often neglect to pay attention to how we are seen.
Jesus asked his disciples two questions: “Who do people say I am?,” and “Who do you say I am?” He wasn’t concerned about his “personal brand;” he was checking with his closest companions to learn what they were hearing from the people and if they were paying attention to what he taught them.
These two questions are as valid today as they were over 2,000 years ago, especially in a culture concerned with how people perceive us.
Are the words you use to describe yourself what you want to believe about yourself or what you want others to believe about you?
Or do the words you say describe who you want to become?
Are you a “visionary” or a “legacy builder?” Are you a “strategic thinker,” or is that word convenient for creating a persona? We are — and become — the story we choose to tell.
Who do you say you are?
Even in a networked culture or community, we often miss the personal connection with individuals like Jesus’ disciples or the apostle Paul’s close companions. We’re isolated, alone, and busy doing our work while we craft an imaginary persona on social media.
We are — and become — the story we choose to tell.
Twitter, who do you say I am?
Your picture is worth one thousand words.
Look at the profile picture you use on your professional social media accounts. Who does it say you are? Ask your close associates, “Who does this say I am?”
LinkedIn, who do you say I am?
Ephesians is rich with language that affirms who you are: An adopted child of God, a brother to Jesus Christ, God’s Son, a masterpiece, created in the image of God and the Spirit of Christ.
Jesus reminds us that we’re worth more than five sparrows. We’re more valuable than one thousand words. Let the words you choose reflect who God says you are.
Let the One that matters answer this question:
Hey, thanks for reading. Do a brother a favor and share EntreWorship with a friend, or buy them a copy of Essential to remind them that their work matters.