Who Are We?

Praying about what to write this week I heard, “Who are we?”  After a short conversation with the Lord I moved to my computer.

Why am I asking who are we? Because I see and personally experience a lot of people who really do not appear to have a solid answer to the question and the vast majority are confused in some way. 

Who are we? We are creatures, living breathing creatures. Something that is created by another. 

As living breathing creatures, we create lots of thing to help us live, but they are not alive like we are.

Some of us build robots, but they don’t function like we do. Even AI is being made by us. At least to begin, it is dependent on people to program it. (A potentially scary thought in the long run, in my opinion) 

We cannot have relationships with the things we create like we can with people and our Creator.

We are flesh and blood and created by the One who made the entire universe. And because we are the only beings created in the image of our Maker, we are here to be fruitful and multiply, and to be friends with our Maker. Since our role from creation is to rule and reign over all that is on the earth, (Genesis 1:22-28+,) we represent Him as ambassadors.

Ambassadors represent the one who sent them. They are generally of one mind.

When He made us, He said we are good. Look at us now. . . over all we have not done too well staying with the original plan.

Most of the people I see around me are stressed, attempting to figure “it” out on their own, or finding escape mechanisms. It is easy to be unfulfilled when we are looking in the wrong places for fulfillment. 

Jesus said we are lost sheep without a shepherd.

When I lived in Africa, sheep were a near daily occurrence in my life. Even in parts of capital cities I would see them herded down the street. To put it nicely, they are not the most intelligent creatures. If they are in the road, they will not move until they are ready. Car horns are do not produce any effect, but their shepherds succeed in directing and taking care of them. The shepherd knows his sheep and is willing to leave the larger herd to seek out the one who has gone astray.

I see people without a shepherd, not paying attention to warnings or understanding consequences. (I am not immune to this struggle.)

Who are we? 

Those of us who follow Jesus, know our shepherd, The Shepherd. He is our Maker incarnate, living, breathing, loving, flesh and blood. And we are fulfilled as we listen to and mind our shepherd.

An important part of our roll as Jesus followers is to live in ways that bring Him glory. People are attracted to the fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self-control are all part of our fruitfulness. These grow in us as we grow in relationship with our Maker.

What’s fun is when we walk in a manner worthy of Jesus, full of fruit, most people are attracted to people who are full of fruit. Often, this behavior opens doors to share our hope, the source of our fruit. 

Who are we? We are all intended for relationship with our Maker. Many people are lost without this most important relationship. 

I believe lifting our focus to the life-giving relationship with our Creator will bring fulfillment. In turn the supernatural fruit will increasingly overflow to the lost in need of The Shepherd.