i am not, but i know I Am

"Who am I? That the Lord of all the earth would care to know my name, would care to feel my hurt.  Who am I? That the Bright and Morning Star would choose to light the way, for my ever wandering heart.  Who am I? That the eyes that see my sin would look on me with love and watch me rise again.  Who am I?  That the voice that calmed the sea, would call out through the rain, and calm the storm in me.
Not because of who I am, but because of what You've done.  Not because of what I've done, but because of who You are." Casting Crowns - Who Am I

Who are you?  Who am I?  Identity is such a hard thing to figure out.  I am watching my daughters try to find their identity, try to find their place in this world.  We many times get our place confused.  We begin to think too highly of ourselves or achievements.  We, as my mom used to say to me, get too big for our britches.

John the Baptist was a great guy.  He never let his position go to his head.  He never forgot his place or God's place.  Check out this passage about John:

There once was a man, his name John, sent by God to point out the way to the Life-Light.  He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in.  John was not himself the Light, he was there to show the way to the Light...(John 1.6-8)

...When Jews from Jerusalem sent a group of priests and officials to ask John who he was, he was completely honest.  He didn't evade the question.  He told the plain truth: "I am not the Messiah."  They pressed him, "Who, then?  Elijah?"

"I am not."

"The Prophet?"

"No."

Exasperated, they said, "Who, then?  We need an answer for those who sent us.  Tell us something -- anything! -- about yourself."

"I'm thunder in the desert: 'Make the road straight for God!  I'm doing what the prophet Isaiah preached.'" (John 1.19-23)

"I only baptize using water.  A person you don't recognize has taken his stand in your midst.  He comes after me, but he is not in second place to me.  I'm not even worthy to hold his coat for him." (John 1.26-27)

Today, you and I are the thunder in the desert.  We are the torrential down pour in this dry place.  We are the ones proclaiming the life and love of God the Father through Jesus the Son.  We get so caught up in our achievements and accomplishments that many times we look at God and say, "You sure are glad that I'm on your team!"  We think that we are the stuff.

We put ourselves ahead of God.  We lower Him to our position or station in life.  We begin to think that we are more than we are, simple mouth pieces proclaiming the Way.  He is not second place to us, we are second place to Him.

Today, as you meet people and go places, remember that you are the prophet for Christ -- the voice calling out in the wilderness, "Prepare the way of the Lord!"