Identity is probably the major factor in our self-esteem and self-confidence. Those with a sense of identity have the benefit of knowing for themselves who and what they are. They naturally are more confident in their interaction with others and square with the world and it's events around them. If I could have it my way, I would have all know who they are but the only one I can directly influence is myself. So let me share myself with you today.
1st I AM a beloved son of Heavenly Parents
This is where I want to begin. This knowledge, yes, this knowledge is the foundation of everything I am.
The Father of my spirit, of who I am, is God. He is a God who knows all things. He can foresee the ending of each path I consider, of each choice I think of. The best thing of all is that I can ask Him for help. He is there to answer my questions with knowledge that is sufficient for me to make a choice at each given time. He guides me in my daily life. He is NOT a silent God.
The Mother of my spirit, of who I really am, is the Queen of the universe and she reigns with my Father. I wish I knew more of her but for now it is enough for me to know that She exists. She is there. She weeps when I weep. She rejoices when I rejoice and when I fall Her love is there to bear me up.
2nd I AM a man
I have always been, I now am and will always be a man. Who I am physically and spiritually cannot be altered by philosophies and opinions of the world. My gender is eternal. I was a man before I was born and I will be a man after I have moved on from this world.
Gender is not a choice. It is a divine attribute. I can either embrace it or waste it in denial. I have chosen to embrace it and the expectations that God has for me with it.
3rd I AM a bearer of the Holy Priesthood
As a man I have a responsibility to be an extension of my Heavenly Father's arm. Because I accepted the calling and qualified myself for it, I was given the Priesthood (an authority to act in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ). I have a solemn responsibility to keep myself worthy and always be ready to answer a plead of a heart that needs healing or a desire of a mind that needs clearing. If feet don't know where to go, ears which voice to listen to, hands what to do or eyes where to aim, I have a responsibility to be ready to act when they call for help from the Heavens.
4th I AM a son of my mortal parents
I have a mortal mother and a mortal father. They were given a responsibility to create a physical body for me and then raise me to become a righteous man, a loving husband and a good caring father in my own time. They were given a charge to teach me what my Heavenly Parents expect of me and then help me on my way; on my way to be the best I could.
They are who they are and they are not perfect but they are the reason I have come so far. I have a responsibility to honor them and remember what they have taught me. They have been the ones helping me find who I really am.
5th I AM a boyfriend
I am in love with the most beautiful woman in the world. I have responsibilities towards her, towards our future together. I must keep myself worthy of her. I must make and then keep myself ready and able to take care of her.
I have a responsibility to cherish her, be there for her when ever she may need me. Love is a commitment and a responsibility. That is why it is the source of the greatest joys and sorrows.
6th I AM a teacher
I have also been called to teach children of the basic principles of the Gospel. I have a responsibility to be an example in trying my best to live according to what I teach myself. I must learn and study to be able to teach. I have a responsibility be a help to them to learn what the Gospel really is about and help them see it is something they can love and embrace.
7th I AM a composer
Lastly I am a composer. I have a responsibility to develop myself. I have a responsibility to have a focus and prioritize my time so that I will be able to do what I love now and in the future. This is the talent I received from my Father in Heaven and I must take care that I put it to good use.
If you don't have it clear to yourself who you are, write a similar list and make it clear to yourself who you are. Be honest and consider the words you write. Some of these things might change over time, career identities as an example. More might come. In the future I aim to be a husband and a father. They will then be a part of who I am and I must live accordingly.
But there must be something that will NEVER change. You need a core that is harder than steel, more firm than Finnish granite. Make sure that you have such a point on your list.
The world will try to break you. Morals and definitions will change. What is now a no-no will be acceptable. It will try to make you bend with the wind and shift with the waves. What it calls a change of times does not mean that you must give up what you are.
Once the world knew there was a God and now it denies it. You don't have to when you know. Once gender was what you were born with and now it is changed with a thought and a knife. You can still be what you were born to be when you know. Once the world knew what their resposibilities were and now they have only themselves. You still can do the right choices when you know.
Find out who you are and be strong when the world goes it's way.
Godspeed, my Friends!
No comments:
Post a Comment