This Defines Me

As I scroll through Facebook, I can't help but notice how many friends (myself included) are taking quiz after quiz that tells us who we are. Oh, you like this set of things, you are passionate and warm. Oh, but you like those things so you are fiercely loving and a warrior. We love it when this magical quiz knows who we are and can give us some insight into our strengths. I personally find it a little rough when me and all my friends get the exact same answer. We cannot all be Cinderella. Lol! It got me thinking about why we love those quizzes so much. What is it in our souls that so deeply wants to know who we are and what purpose we have been divinely given?

I have been reading a fiction novel about a young woman growing up in Greece in the 1920's recently. In it, the girl finds she has a passion and a gift for embroidery and for hand stitching garments. As I was reading, I was jealous of this girl, this fictional character who the author has clearly created for this story. It showed how each piece of her life came together for her to be able to use her gift. I felt the love and the passion the author had in creating and nurturing this character. Then, I realized I am a character in the greatest novel ever written (and so are you). We were intentionally created for this period of time and in the exact place we live. We were divinely created for this moment. God is the author and He relishes in nurturing each individual gift in those who believe.

I want to share with you an obscure verse that I pray will help you to see who our God is and how he truly sees us.

"The following Levites: Joshua son of Azaniah, Binnui from the family of Henadad, Kadmiel, and their fellow Levites: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, Zaccur, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu. 

Nehemiah 10:9-13 NLT

You see, for years, I have skipped sections of the Bible like this. Why in the world do I need to read all these names? Who cares Lord? Why did you waste precious space in Your Word for all these names? Until God finally laid the answer on my heart. He is a personal God. He knows each of us by name. He is using your name in the story He's writing today. God is a loving God who sees us exactly as we are, exactly as He created us, and knows our story better than we ever will. I pray today, we can rest in His truth and in His love for us.

With everything I have, I want to scour the Bible and find verses to show you who you are and how loved you are by our God, but I feel deeply that I cannot truly do justice for each person who is reading this. I challenge you, friend, to dig deep into scripture and find the defining verses that stick to your heart. Find the ones that tell you, you are loved. Find the ones that sing to your passions. Find the ones that make you question everything you've ever known. Plaster these scriptures to your walls, put them as your wallpaper on your phone, share them with your friends and proudly say, "This defines me."