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Identity
What defines us? What words better express who we are?
How to answer that unrelenting question – Who are you?
I can affirm without fear that 2008 was one of the most
challenging years of my life. In the middle of the year
everything simply changed at a frightening speed. Our
home was left behind, the furniture that we had acquired
in almost 12 years of marriage simply disappeared (they
are no longer ours), our dear country became a memory,
the people we had grown to love for seven and a half
years are no longer nearby, and our parents, who were
already far away, are now even farther. Everything was
left behind.
Change is good, but it exacts a price that is much more
costly that airpline tickets or fees – the price of
identity! During change, after the initial moment of
fascination, all that remains is an affirmation, or lack
thereof, of one’s identity. There is always the option
of seeking to define ourselves in that which we have, or
in the midst of where we live, with the mimesis
practiced by some animals who change their colors in
order to confuse and therefore blend in with their
habitat.Human beings can change their colors and
customs, but this does not define us. Insisting upon
this reveals a futile attitude. Accepting the temptation
to find our identity in things, friends, or social
status, simply adds frustration and crisis to life, and
as a final result, a deep feeling of confusion.
During this time, a strong tower for has been Psalm 16,
where David affirms: “You are my Lord; I have no good
apart from you” as well as verse 5 “The Lord is my
chosen portion and my cup.” Even though the Psalmist was
a monarch surrounded by the power and majesty of his
kingdom, he understood that nothing that he had, titles
he possessed, or even his own breath of life, was
actually his. The only thing he had, the only truth that
would last, his greatest certainty, was that he had the
Lord as his inheritance, the portion that was set aside
for him. In one last instance, he could loudly proclaim:
“The Lord is all I have!”
It becomes easy to understand why Paul, in his letter to
the Ephesians, prays that Christians have their eyes
enlightened to see the riches of his glorious
inheritance (1:18). The wise differentiation between
that which I apparently have, and that which I truly
possess as an inheritance, brings meaning to life. This
is why, when I seek to discover my value or even
strengthen my self-esteem, I cannot seek meaning in
things or relationships, which unfortunately are
temporary. I choose to agree with the affirmation of
Francis of Assis in a letter to the governing body:
“What you are in his eyes, is what you are, and nothing
more.” So I look to Him and find out who I am (Psalm
34:5)
My identity does not come from the things I possess,
from the church I pastor, or even from the country in
which I live. I am simply a glove filled by a perfect
and skillful hand. Daily I feel challenged to be a
mirror, a reflection and a channel for the One who owns
me. I am simply that which He determines and does in me.
I am like mud, without any value or luster, lovingly
molded by his hands. I am loved unconditionally, and
stubbornly carved by the sculptor who insists upon not
giving up on me, inspite of myself.
I am because He is.
Talles Araújo
A follower of the Nazarene. A servant’s apprentice.
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The Power of
Doing Good
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with
good.”
Romans 12:21
I get the impression that one of the strongest
tendencies in a human being is to desire revenge. If the
word revenge seems a little strong to you, let me talk
about the synonyms most commonly used to cover it up:
punishment, discipline, justice, payment… Many times our
natural sense for justice desires (though maybe
subconsciously) that those who harm us suffer a lot for
what they have done. But is this how a Christian should
think? Should we give freedome to these feelings?
In spite of the natural temptation to develop these
feelings, I see in Scripture that yielding to this
manner of thinking only brings sadness and pain.
Desiring evil means being an accessary and participant
in the nature of evil. The Bible exhorts us to have
victory over the temptation to desire evil, in the only
way possible – by doing good! I would like to give you
two suggestions in how to do this:
My first suggestion is that you should fill your mind
with thoughts that are in line with the mind of Christ.
Victory begins in the mind, for if your thoughts are
evil, it’s useless to have actions which are apparently
good. The opposite is also revealing. If our minds are
filled with good thoughts, then it will be easier to act
in the right way. A mind that is constantly in touch
with the Word will always know how to despise what is
bad and sustain what is healthy – “we have the mind of
Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:16)
The second suggestion is: don’t miss out on
opportunities to practice what is good. Paul exhorts us:
“and let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due
season we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Galatians
6:9) The best answer to all kinds of evil is the
gracious kindness of a Christian, who, like sandalwood,
insists on adding perfume to the axe that cuts it. Being
good does not mean being a doormat or being foolish, but
knowing how to surrender to the One who judges justly (1
Peter 2:23), and to progress in his blessed way even
those who have decided to be enemies. The result will
always be happiness and contentment.
Brothers and sisters, in evil days such as our own
(Ephesians 5:16), I think that the best way to show
Jesus to a lost world, is to manifest kindness and a
goodness that is full of grace, a grace with the current
age does not know, and through this show the true God.
In the love of Christ
Pr. Talles Araújo
A follower of the Nazarene. A servant’s apprentice.
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