September 15 Devotional

John 1:35-42 (ESV) The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).This is Pastor Mark Wall. This passage has real implications about our identity. My greatest desire in life is to be known and accepted. So, what is my identity? I am many things: a son, a husband, a father, a friend, a member of a team. These and other titles I wear, like hats, switching them, trying to find the right one for each occasion. The irony is that as I try to conform to others expectations, I find myself disappointing them, and disappointing myself, too. I wonder if Simon struggled in similar ways with his identity. Because Jesus changed it on the day he met him.Picture it: his brother Andrew comes bursting in, confident he has found The Messiah, The Christ. Jesus of Nazareth. So he takes Simon to meet him. And the first thing Jesus does is to speak to his identity. In fact, he changes his name.“You are Simon the son of John,” Jesus says. “You shall be called Cephas,” which means Peter.Somehow Jesus knew who Simon was designed to be. He knew the Journey Simon was on, and knew what it would take for him to set down false expectation, and embrace his real design. I don’t think the transition from Simon to Peter was quick or easy. It was a journey. And I know this journey well.I used to think of myself as “an easy Mark.” I lived as a victim to what I believed were others expectations of me. Then in a SOZO, the Lord revealed to me something of my own identity. That he designed me with compassion at my core. That began the transformation from, “Easy Mark” a son of the world, into “Heart Mark” a son of the Creator. As I embraced that shift, I started to live from my true identity. Today, I don’t fear disappointing the people I love like I used to, and I’ve discovered that I can meet people’s true needs far better than I could before. Sure, I still disappoint people, but it’s because I am a work in progress, and I don’t let shame define me the way I used to.What are the false names and expectations weighing you down? Go to the Father, hold hands with Jesus, be comforted by the Holy Spirit. Let God show you who you really are. Ask God how He sees you!Let’s pray.Father, thank you for your abounding grace and the depth of your love. Thank you for not only showing me who you designed me to be, but helping me transform into the wholeness of me. Thank you for comforting me in times of difficulty and showing me healthier ways to respond. Thank you for loving me where I am at, so I can accept who I am and move toward who I am destined to be.