{"id":1782,"date":"2020-02-13T12:38:44","date_gmt":"2020-02-13T12:38:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.katiepolski.com\/?p=1782"},"modified":"2020-02-13T15:02:12","modified_gmt":"2020-02-13T15:02:12","slug":"who-are-you-and-what-do-you-do-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/katiepolski.com\/?p=1782","title":{"rendered":"Who Are You And What Do You Do?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s nice to meet you. So, what do you do?\u201d <\/em>I had just\nmet a new, young couple at a social gathering and as soon as the conversation\nbroke off from couples to individuals, this was the question I posed to the young\nwoman standing in front of me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She waved her hand and said, \u201cOh, I\u2019m just a stay at home mom<\/em>,” and then dismissed the statement quickly by adding that she\u2019d soon be pursuing another degree. As her ambitious plans unfolded, it struck me how much weight my question carried. I could hear the layers of insecurity in her voice as she tried to shed light on all of her potential, great endeavors. My question unintentionally seemed to suggest that what she does <\/em>gives value to who she is<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve felt the same insecurities at different seasons in life.\nSeveral years back, I remember picking up my son from preschool, and when he\ngot in the car, he informed me that he needed to interview someone with an\nimportant job. I was staying home with my young children at the time, and when\nI offered to help by sharing my responsibilities as a mom, <\/em>my five-year\nold offspring said very matter-of-factly: \u201cThat\u2019s OK, mom. I need to\ninterview someone who does something.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the love of motherhood. I almost left him on the curbside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, I’ve felt the pressure to “achieve” in order to prove my significance. John Piper refers to every person\u2019s soul as a \u201ctemplate shaped for God.\u201d We were made for <\/em>Him, so our significance comes from <\/em>Him, but our affections are so distorted that we try to cram into this template everything the world says makes us significant. The reality is, we live in a culture that tells us our importance is based on our degree, salary, or superior ranking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By God\u2019s strength, we need to close our ears to the lie that\nwe have value merely because of our accomplishments. <\/em>In fact, the Scripture\nsays the exact opposite. You are valuable, child of God, because of who you\nbelong to. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the book of Philippians, Paul begins his letter to the\nchurch of Philippi with these words: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi,\nwith the overseers and deacons: \u2018Grace to you and peace from God our Father and\nthe Lord Jesus Christ.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He does not address these believers by their status as Philippians (which would have been beneficial in those days); rather, Paul addresses these believers by their status as Christ-followers, and in these two brief verses, we\u2019re reminded of the magnificence of this status. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Christian Is Holy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Paul addresses the Philippian Christians as \u201csaints,\u201d a word meaning “holy.” Holiness, as it applies to believers, seems unfitting. On the one hand, God is perfectly<\/em> holy. We read in the book of Isaiah that the Prophet fell to his knees as the threshold shook and the seraphim called out: \u201cHoly, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty.\u201d <\/em>The Lord is perfectly, stunningly holy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a human level, holiness seems unachievable. And yet, the Bible is clear that if you bear Christ\u2019s name, you are holy, and it\u2019s not because you are perfect or even moral, but you are holy because you have a relationship with the God the Father. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we grow in our understanding of God and His Word, we grow\nin holiness, causing us to love more of what Jesus loves. As a Christian, you\nhave an intimate and personal relationship with the One who created the skies\nand spoke life into existence and because of this, you are holy. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Christian Is ‘In Christ<\/strong>‘<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Christian is also \u201cin Christ.\u201d <\/em>Our status is seen in a glorious light with this profound statement. We are completely united with Christ and because of this, we share in all of His riches. Everything we do, we do in in Christ. <\/em>When anxiety rolls in like waves after a storm, we face it united to Christ and with his peace. When we struggle with a child who rebels, we do so united to Christ and with His wisdom and love. When we are exhausted because of young children, we have Christ\u2019s strength to give us the ability to care and provide because we are in Him. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Believer in Jesus, you are not walking through this life on\nyour own, but you are united fully and completely to your Savior. It\u2019s in the\nsimple parts of our daily existence that we see fully this gift of our salvation\nunfold. Christian, you remain always and forever in Christ. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Christian Possesses Grace and Peace<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the most beautiful aspects of our status as Christians is that we have been given grace and peace. Grace – God\u2019s riches at Christ\u2019s Expense on the cross – is poured out daily like a waterfall of treasures reminding us of His matchless love. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the peace we are given is beyond anything the world can\noffer. This gift from God does not come and go, but it is a peace that gives assurance\nthat He will never leave us or forsake us. And resting in this perfect peace is\nbelieving in the promise that God is working out every detail of our life for\nHis glory and for our good<\/em>, no matter how difficult it may be to\nunderstand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imprinted in my memory is my dear mother lying in nursing\nbed as we watched the effects of a brain disease rip every ability from her\nbeing. I distinctly remember one particular afternoon sitting on the edge of mom\u2019s\nbed watching her sleep. She was no longer able to speak, stand, or do anything\nfor herself. The disease had distorted her face and body, but in my grief, I was\nreminded that her value had not changed before God. According to the world, she\nhad nothing to offer, making her insignificant. According to Jesus she could\nnot be held in greater esteem because she belonged to Him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

No matter the plaques you have gained or have yet to receive, you are valuable beyond understanding if you belong to Jesus. And if you are His child, there is no greater status that you will carry in this life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cIt\u2019s nice to meet you. So, what do you do?\u201d I had just met a new, young couple at a … <\/p>\n

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