Who am I

As we live here on earth, we all seek to identify who we are. Most of the time we identify ourselves by what our friends say of us or by what we have achieved academically or socially. We may chose an identity that is most appropriate for a specific occasion and change once we are in another scenario. All in all we all can define who we are irrespective of whether that is true of ourselves or it only what we dream of becoming.

In this relation there are so many things in the society that happen and we all frown at the sight of them. We get angry when we see some people "misbehave" in public. One thing I've noted however is none of us ever looks within ourselves for those moments when others would have reacted in a similar manner to our actions. We wonder who they are.

I believe that we are all unique in our own ways. God created each one of us with special abilities. In the same way, he has allowed some weaknesses to be manifest in us. The bible says that His strength is made perfect in our weaknesses. This does not mean that God condones mediocrity, but it simply should help us accept who we are despite the "flaws" in our attributes. At times what we feel ashamed of in ourselves turns out to be what someone else longs to have. Allow me to use this example about ladies. I have met several ladies here in Nairobi whom when I asked what they didn't like about themselves were frank enough to say they did not like their big breasts. They did everything to make them seem small. Then I met a Japanese friend who told me that in her country women struggled to have large breasts. They even go for surgery for breast enlargement. This is also true for our skin color. Most white people suffer sunburns whenever they visit our game parks yet there are so many of us using skin lighteners so that they can look "beautiful".

I would strongly encourage you to be happy with what you have for God who placed you in Kenya knew that whatever he has endowed in you will be very useful in Kenya. As someone once commented, God didn't put you in Kenya so that you can pray to win a green card to go to the USA. He however expects you to go all over the world and impact people's lives for His kingdom and that is why He will enable you get a study visa or work permit to China to be a missionary there. As much as the understanding of who we truly are will help us live in greater freedom and happiness, it also helps us live at peace with our enemies and friends.

However, there is at times the temptation to use these weaknesses to live in mediocrity. Accepting our weaknesses does not mean we ignore opportunities for self improvement. If there is anything you can do to change some aspect of your personality, you should do it immediately. For instance, it is true that there are some people who are very temperamental. These people get angry so quickly over anything that they do not approve of. However, the bible clearly instructs us that we should be slow to anger and abiding in grace and love. And so if you noticed that you are easily angered by anything and everything, then you should take the time to seek God's help in applying His word to your life so that you honor him in your life.

One basic truth is that we are not perfect. We however should work towards perfection. This does not mean despising all the "negative" aspects of our lives. My understanding of seeking perfection is focusing on what God has bestowed in me and seeking to make the best use of it. It is seeking training that will enable you apply your skills in a Godly manner for the betterment of the society. If you truly know that you were created in God's image and likeness, then we should look out who God is.

A lot of the struggles we go through about our personalities are as a result of a limited or lack of understanding of who God is. We seek truth but in the wrong places. We listen to descriptions of who we are or should be but from the wrong people. We read the wrong books. We associate with the wrong people.

As someone once commented, if you want to understand how any equipment works or how to operate it, then you go to the manufacturers' manual. If you follow the advice in the manual but the equipment still does work as expected, or in the course of use, it develops a fault, then you call their technical support for more instructions and troubleshooting and solution to the problem. And so if God is our manufacturer, why do we seek to solve the problems in our live or seek to understand ourselves by reading a different manual. God has provided His manual to us but we often refuse to read it. He has a technical support that is standby throughout and is accessible at no cost.

Things may not be working as you would wish in your life. You may have read a lot of truths about yourself in the Bible but it does not seem to apply to you. I would encourage you to seek the truth. This truth is only found in the word of God. Daily meditate on this truth and ask Him to reveal to you more truths. Ask Him to help you understand His word. He definitely will if you seek Him out of a clean and sincere heart.

There are so many "truths" being spread around us. With the emergent of many fm radio stations, people have qualified themselves to be authorities in different matters of our society. These people seek to advice us on how to make our marriages work, how to live healthy lives, how to make more money. One thing most of us never pose to ask ourselves is; what is the source of this information they are shoving to us? Who is their inspiration? What is their motivation? What are they advocating for?

If Jesus is their hero, they rely on the bible for instruction, they are motivated by the desire to glorify God and serve Him and advocate for His supremacy and reign in our lives, then they are worth listening to. One guiding principle that has really helped me to moderate my decisions is this; I believe that if you are going to believe everything you read or hear, then better not read or listen. This I have found helpful even in the church. As the Bereans in the book of Acts were commented for searching the scripture to find out the truths, I have always sought to confirm God's truth spoken on the pulpit by carefully going through whatever is preached.

Friends, we need to ask God for wisdom in living out for what He created us. Our lives will be more fulfilling when we understand the greatness of our God and the idea He had in creating us. We will be more able to appreciate the faults in others without condemning them. We will be able to accept our weaknesses without feeling inferior but rather allowing His strength to be made manifest.

And so next time you see a rather irritating behavior from someone or notice a 'flaw' in your personality or appearance, ask yourself; what was God's purpose in making them/me this way?