There is every tendency for people to misrepresent you when you fail to unmask yourself. It is possible for people as well to call or name you all manner of things based on their perception of you. But the truth is, people’s perception of you may be wrong most of the times. Scientist recently has concluded that there are about 37.2 trillion cells in human body. Imagine if people were to really form an opinion about you, that means it would take years of studies and research before a definite conclusion about who you truly are – based on human perception, can be truly revealed.
So, that tells you that for people to summarily look at you and say…this is who you are, might be wrong most of the times. This doesn’t say that they might not be right on certain things about you, but they are usually wrong in most of it. To buttress this point further, I want us to examine this incident in the book of Luke 19:28-21 about Jesus and His disciples. Before this incident took place, Jesus had been around and people obviously, have been saying all manner of things about his true identity.
18 Once when Jesus was praying in private and His disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?” 19 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.” 20 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.” 21 Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone.
This story simply tells us how inaccurate people’s description of us might appear to be tilted at certain times and it is our responsibility never to settle for such description. The reason Jesus charged them not to tell any man is not because He was afraid that if the people know He is the Messiah, something terrible might happen, No! But because Israel had thought and expected that when the Messiah shall appear, He shall appear with horses and chariots and soldiers, and then, they will believe, not knowing that the messiah was already in their midst.
Jesus wanted the people to perceive Him correctly, and so, warn the disciples not to tell anyone. It is very important that people perceive you correctly, know who you truly are from who you are not.
Haven said all these above, who then really are you?
You are a man or a woman that has been fearfully and wonderfully made. Whether you are black or white, tall or short, fat or slim – irrespective of your physical stature, you have been perfectly made. Psalm 139:14 made us understand this truth. Stop wishing that you are someone else, be who God has made you to be and simply enjoy it. Sometimes I used to look at some speakers and wish I could speak like them, gesticulate like them whenever they preach. But I realize that I can’t really be like them, simply because they are simply giving expression to who they have been made to be. You also must realize this fact, that you cannot be someone else; you can only be who you really are. And this comes in the place of unmasking yourself – your true self.
You are a man or woman made in the image of God. In other words, you are a god on two legs walking. Genesis 1:26-27 and Psalm 82:6 makes us understand this fact. There is a popular saying that “You can’t be a child of the Most High God and be the most low.” An understanding of this will make you perceive and unmask yourself correctly.
You are also made for a specific purpose. So, when you see yourself as a mere man, God sees a mighty man of valor (Judges 6:12), just the way he said to Gideon. God has made you just the way you are to fulfill a part of His agenda on the face of the earth. He told Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:5 that before he was born, while still in his mother’s womb; he had been ordained a prophet to nations. There is a general purpose of God for mankind that must be fulfilled through you (Matthew 28:18-20), and there are also specific purposes for individuals as well (Ephesians 4:11-12).
As I begin to summarize this whole piece, never forget there is who people generally perceive you to be, and there is who you really are, as contained in the word of God. The responsibility now rests with you to settle with one – whether to stick with the witness of the people or to stick with the witness of God.
Thanks for reading.
