Have you ever been asked the question “what do you do for a living”? That is the world or Cain’s way of perceiving life. The godly line of Seth is not interested in what you do but “who are you”? This concept involves the idea of identity. If you see yourself as a teacher, musician, doctor and so on, your identity is based on what you do and unfortunately, will eventually fail you. Sport stars will someday lose their skills and will not be able to compete any longer. Hollywood sex symbols will sooner or later lose their attractiveness and their admirers. Millionaires can go bankrupt and intelligent people can end up with Alzheimer’s. I could go on and on, but hopefully you get my point, that all identities based on performance, appearance, skill, intelligence, position, wealth and the like will eventually fail. Jesus said to build your life on a solid foundation Mt 7:24,25,26,27. He is the solid foundation and has given us the identity of a child of God when we receive him Jn 1:12. This identity will never change. The things we do for a living can change but who we are will never. So I can be living life as a teacher, or decide to become a retired person or a Walmart greeter. God can still use me in prestigious or lowly positions but my worth remains constant because I am a child of God, loved and precious in his eyes. Jesus humbled himself and lived as a man Php 2:7,8 but his real identity was still God of this universe Php 2:6,9,10,11.
Understanding our true identity frees us from trying to earn worth from the world. Success with God is not based on results but on motives and effort. We will experience frustration if we base our worth on our performance and other people’s opinions of us. People are fickle and no one can guarantee that we will always perform to be successful. Knowing God has already accepted us Ro 15:7 and has a standard of success for rewards 1 Co 3:12,13,14,15 (not for acceptance) that everyone can meet (motives/effort) 1 Co 4:5; Col 3:23 is comforting and satisfying.
Heb 13:5; Lk 12:6,7; Jn 1:12; 1 Jn 4:19.
Song: Child of the Living God