By: Liz Mierzejewski
What words do you use to describe yourself when you meet someone new, or in moments of self-reflection?
Often, the human tendency is define ourselves by achievements, roles, struggles, or societal labels. But hold on… We may not be doing it right. We are limited in our perspective, limited in our ability to see ourselves. We can only look through our own eyes, one moment at a time, which means our words are bound to those limitations. Even more so, our self-descriptions are often incomplete or distorted by Sin, Pride, or Shame. Those are Three Words we might hear from an Accuser, or an Enemy, or ourselves. Jeremiah pointed this out saying, “The heart is deceitful above all things.”
And we are not the first generation to struggle with such self-perception. Not by a long shot.
Let’s start with Moses. For someone with two powerful family stories, he had quite a humble view of himself. He was certainly conflicted, with one allegiance to the Jews, and another to his adopted family of pharaoh’s daughter. And God told Moses to speak, as if God wasn’t aware of Moses’ precarious family position or his probable speech impediment. Moses was reluctant, and felt inadequate to lead his people out of bondage, saying, “I am slow of speech and tongue.” God’s description? Moses was the chosen leader, empowered by God to deliver Israel.
Gideon described himself as weak and insignificant, saying, “My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” Was Gideon wrong? Through human eyes, it seems not. By all worldly standards he could not roster enough soldiers to accomplish what he was being drafted to do. And yet God describes Gideon as a “Mighty warrior” whom He uses to save Israel.
And let’s not forget David, complicated and deeply human. At times, he was overwhelmed by guilt and sin, as seen in Psalm 51:3 saying, “My sin is always before me”. And he had stacked up myriad atrocities to earn this badge. Murder, infidelity, lying, pride. There was no available sacrifice for murder or sexual sin, so David was right in that his sin was always before him. But even in the depths of his despair and the full weight of his sin upon him, Yahweh saw David as “A man after God’s own heart.”
The apostle Paul was initially proud as a Pharisee, highly educated, well esteemed among the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders. He oversaw and directed the persecution of the early Christians. After a profound encounter with Jesus, he claimed that he was “the worst of sinners.” And still, Jesus used him to spread the Gospel to the world.
See what God is doing there? When we see weakness, He supplies strength. He equips those He calls, despite their limitations. He offers grace when we suffer failures. God transforms even the most unlikely into vessels for His glory. He takes our words and gives us new ones.
We are created in His image.
We are fearfully and wonderfully made.
We are chosen, loved, and redeemed.
We are called to His purpose.
Those are some powerful descriptions. And they all rest on who Jesus is. And His three Words?
The Way. The Truth. The life. Those are Three Words I can believe in.