Friday Blog

Who Am I?

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Paper peeling back to reveal "Who Am I?"

Last week on Thursday and Friday two candidates for President of Southwestern Adventist University were on campus and met with faculty and staff. Both candidates were asked to describe their plan for engaging faculty and staff with the vision and mission of the university. One of them, Nelu Nedelea, presented a very interesting concept - "I like to ask three questions, Who am I?, What is the context?, and What is my role." He went on to explain that generally the core of who we are doesn't change, we may grow and expand our sphere but our core beliefs and values do not change. The context and our role influence how we apply who we are to any given situation, but in the end who we are ultimately determines how we act.


Many of us define ourselves by the jobs we do. That focus creates an existential threat when we lose our jobs or retire and suddenly our purpose for being and the definition of who we think we are vanishes. I encourage my students to develop their own personal mission and vision statements and identify three to five core values that are nonnegotiables in their lives. This gives them a foundation to build their identity on that is NOT driven by their occupation. Over the past week as I have faced decisions, challenges, and obstacles I have attempted to intentionally ask "Who am I, and how does it impact this situation?" This question has forced me to evaluate my decisions and perceptions based upon what I CLAIM to believe. Often this process sorts through the clutter and focuses on what is truly important.

In one of the devotional books that I am reading the author encourages the reader to recognize what God says about them. I am to always remember that I am a child of God (1 John 3:1), I overwhelmingly conquer (Romans 8:37), I am His witness (Acts 1:8), I am powerful against the devil (also Acts 1:8), and I am chosen, a royal priest, and holy (1 Peter 2:9). These are not promises of what MIGHT be, these are declarations of what God has ALREADY done. I am all of these not because of anything I do or say but because of what God has done and declared!

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