Remember Who You Are!
This reading is dedicated to the life, legacy and ministry of our great emancipator Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the occasion of the celebration of what would have been his 91st birthday. On December 6, 1956, he preached a sermon to the students, faculty, administrators and community at Howard University, Washington, D.C. entitled “Remember Who You Are.”
Scripture: 1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…
There is a story of a young girl whose mother taught her ‘always remember who you are’. One day a classmate at school began to insult her by calling her names other that her name. The incident bothered her but she ignored it and did not share it with her teacher or her mother. Day after day the insults became more aggressive. As the pressure grew, she came home one day in tears and share the bullying and name calling incidents with her mother. Taken back by the experience her daughter was enduring, she loved and comforted her daughter and asked, ‘are any of the names the girl is calling you your name?’ The daughter replied, ‘no mommy’. The mother reminded her daughter ‘remember what I named you and always remember who you are.’ The girl returned to school the next day reassured of her identity and confident in who she was and whose she was. Knowing her identity gave her a renewed confidence to confront her fear and reject the insulting names. The bully no longer had power over her.
In his ministry, Dr. King emphasized the importance of loving ourselves and knowing our identity as a means of achieving civil rights, freedom and justice.
He once preached, “You will change your mind, you will change your looks, you will change your smile, laugh, and ways; but no matter what you change, you will always be you.”
In this world, we are continually disrespected with insulting names, threats and attacks from the enemy. One of Satan’s tactics is to make you believe lies and accept an identity that is different from the one God has given you. Reject any identity other than that which God has given you! Peter reminds believers of the identity that God has given us a new testament priests in Christ Jesus. He declares our identity this way:
- You are a royal priesthood – priest unto God who serve Him after the order of Christ, our High Priest
- a holy nation – a people ‘set apart’, ‘consecrated’ for holy service to the kingdom of God
- that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light – our purpose in this identity is to proclaim (publicly make known) the praises of Jesus through our life and words.
Purpose in your heart and mind to ‘remember who you are in Christ’ at all times and live the Kingdom identity that the Lord God has given you.
It’s Time to Pray: Heavenly Father, please reveal my identity in Christ. Remind me continually who you have called me to be. With holy confidence and boldness I reject all false names that the enemy attempts to call me… in Jesus name, Amen!
