Here is Who You Are or Can Become

2 Corinthians 2:14-17 (RSV) ¹⁴But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumph, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. ¹⁵For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, ¹⁶to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? ¹⁷For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word; but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

Have you ever heard the question “Who do you think you are?” It is often a exclamation intended to question a person’s right to say or do something. It is an excellent question none the less. Who do you think you are?

List all the things you think you are. “I am . . .” Consider the quality of who you think you are. Do you value yourself highly? Are you down on yourself? Perhaps you think you are great. Are you? We call these exercises ones in self-esteem. How do you esteem yourself?

Yesterday I met a young black man who measured me for a tux. After we finished our business, we began to chat about our lives. The question we considered was “Where are you from?” I grew up in Evansville; he grew up in a small community West of Evansville. This community is known for its racism. He was a young black man who grew up in a very hostile environment. He mentioned it very casually. I was interested in how he came to  be the attractive self-confident salesman I saw before me. He told me about his home. He grew up in a fine Christian home, with parents who believed in him and impressed on him that he could do or be whatever he wanted to do or be. Outside his home the message about his worth was harsh and cruel. Inside the safety of his familial walls, he was told of his profound worth. He disbelieved those who hated him and believed those who loved him.

Who are you? You are a sweet aroma in the nostrils of God.

Confidence in the natural world is self-reliance, in the spiritual world it is God-reliance.

Oswald Chambers (1874–1917)

God wants us to be victors, not victims; to grow, not grovel; to soar, not sink; to overcome, not to be overwhelmed.

William Arthur Ward (1812–1882)

Our confidence in Christ does not make us lazy, negligent, or careless, but, on the contrary, it awakens us, urges us on, and makes us active in living righteous lives and doing good. There is no self-confidence to compare with this.

Ulrich Zwingli (1484–1531)