Who Am I?
Paul a servant of Christ Jesus, called to
be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God
Romans 1:1 (NIV)
In
Lewis Carol’s story of Alice
in Wonderland,
Alice came upon a caterpillar smoking a hookah. After the two of them looked at
each other for some time in silence, the caterpillar asked, “Who are you?”
Alice replied, rather shyly, “I…I hardly know sir, just at present – at least I
know who I was when I got up this morning; but I think I must have been changed
several times since then.
“What
do you mean by that?” said the caterpillar sternly, “Explain yourself.”
“I
can’t explain myself, I’m afraid, I can’t put it more clearly”, Alice replied,
politely, “for I can’t understand it myself, to begin with; and being so many
different sizes in a day is very confusing.
This,
in a way, is the predicament of many a person. Trying to fit in varying
circumstances and changing life situations, we tend to behave in quite
different ways in different situations. It is inevitable to some extent. But it
is sad to lose our sense of identity in the process.
Stoic
(Greek) philosophers used to emphasize that the greatest virtue is for a person
to understand who he is. The fact is quite important. It is important for us to
know who we are so that we may have a proper understanding of our position and
worth and to adjust our conduct and behavior accordingly.
Paul
found out his true identity and says he is a bond servant of Christ Jesus, an
apostle and is set apart for the gospel of God. This means that before Paul was
bought as a slave, and before he was called on the Damascus road, and before he
was born, God set him apart for the gospel of God.
We
too are set apart to spread his gospel. Do we realize it? Are we the same
person when at church, at home, at workplace, at school or college? There is
only one thing we need to remember are we portraying the gospel. Paul realized
and led his life in that manner. Has that realization come to us?
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