Whose Are You?

By Bart Warren
     I’ll never forget my 7th grade civics teacher. He was just about every kid’s favorite. He drove a cool car. He was lots of fun. But most importantly, he cared about his students and really had a desire to teach.
    At the end of every class, as the bell was ringing and all the students were gathering up their things to go to the next class, he would call out: “Remember who you are and whose you are!”
     If only we all would be cognizant of such things. When no authorities are around...when no one can see you...when you are sure you won’t get caught...what type of person are you? Do you live in such a way as to always make your family proud? Do you live in such a way as to always make God proud?
     King Saul is an example of one who forgot whose he was. In 1 Samuel 15:3, the command was clear and specific. Through Samuel, God had instructed Saul to totally and completely destroy the Amalekites. No person or beast was to be spared. But, as indicated in verse 9, Saul spared King Agag as well as the best sheep, oxen, calves, and lambs. In verse 11, God says, “I regret that I have made Saul king.” God made Saul king! In other words, Saul belonged to God. Saul was His! That being the case, Saul should have fulfilled the will of God, not his own selfish desires.
     Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are good examples of those who remembered whose they were. In Daniel 3:4-6, the command is given for all to worship a golden image when certain music is played. WE all know the rest of the story. The music is played, yet these three refused to fall down and worship this graven image. In spite of the frightening consequences of burning in an oven...in spite of the dramatic peer pressure (hey, everyone else is doing it)...they remembered they belonged to God and they remained loyal to Him (Dan. 3:17). God protected them (3:26-27).
     Daniel himself is a good example of one who remembered whose he was. Consider just a couple of things. First, Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself” (Dan. 1:8). He made the decision as a young man, before he ever felt the first notion of peer pressure, that he was going to live for God and make Him proud. Second, as he grew older, Daniel continued to put the will of God first in his life. In Daniel 6:7, his enemies devise a plan to condemn him: No petitions offered to anyone or anything other than the king for 30 days. But Daniel knew he belonged to God, not to this king. He continued to pray to the God of heaven and earth. He wound up in the den of lions. Yet, through all of this, God protected him because he was innocent (Dan. 6:22)! God takes care of those that belong to Him. To whom do you belong? Remember who you are and whose you are!
- Bart Warren; via The Encourager, the weekly bulletin for the Calvert City Church of Christ, Calvert City, KY.  Lance Cordle preaches for the congregation.  He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.calvertchurchofchrist.com