i am what i am

This past Sunday I was part of a church service. As happens sometimes, the person teaching read a scripture and a phrase from that scripture caught my attention. It was really a rather obscure phrase yet it arrested my attention. It comes from Paul's first letter to the church at Corinth and can be found in 1 Corinthians 15:10 - "But by the grace of God I am what I am..."
What a powerful statement!

Paul had come to grips with who God had created Him to be - I am what I am. He was no longer "kicking against the goads". (See Acts 9:5) His statement reveals the depth of his harmony with God and with God's purposes for him. It demonstrates a settled-ness with his past, a contentedness in his present, and a security in his future. There is a great deal of power in the person who has settled these issues of identity.

My observation from my own life as well as the life of others is that until we come to grips with who we are, we will never truly reach our God-given potential. One of the reasons we grasp for significance, for position, and for power is that we have not settled who we are by the grace of God. Instead of allowing God to define our existence, we create an image of who or what we would desire to be. It causes us to clutch at that which would make us feel more important.

Jesus, at the last supper, was able to wash the disciples feet because He was fully aware of the who of His being. Notice the words from John - Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.

Coming to the realization of "I am what I am" allows for a great deal of freedom. Freedom to serve in unnoticed mundane ways. Freedom to lay down our life for others. Freedom from the fear of man. Freedom from the fear of failure.

Next to giving His Son, the greatest work that God did for me occurred in what I called the dark night of my soul. He attacked everything with which I identified myself. Every strength evaporated, every ability seemed to disappear. It felt as if every self-created definition of myself completely unraveled into a pile of rubbish. During that time I learned about God, about myself, but most of all I was able to hear what He said about me. His words to me were all I had at the time.

His words of identity to me became the doorway to life. I am beginning to understand "I am what I am". As I said earlier, coming to the realization of "I am what I am" brings a great deal of freedom. My prayer is that you experience the freedom that comes from harmony with God's purposes for you!