Everyone asks at some point in their life, who am I?
When we know who we are, there is an amazing release that comes into our future - into the reality that God has for us. You and I are not here on planet Earth to occupy space and to suck up air. You and I are here for a purpose.
There are many things involved in shaping us. Among those things are the names we are called. Names can pull us down in defeat, but names can also pull us up. Names can change our future.
In Scripture we have many stories of how humans called a person one way, but God called them another. I like the story of Abram. I don’t know what it was like for a man who’s in the desert and suddenly God talks to him. He responded, despite the mistakes and everything else, suddenly God started to call him another name. (Gen. 17.) He had a choice - was he going to listen to the name that was society’s name for him, or was he going to respond to the name God called him? Every one of us has that same choice.
Something happens when we respond to that name that God puts on us. The story of Jacob is amazing. Here’s a guy who swindled his brother, who deceived his father, and suddenly he must flee. But God doesn’t give up on him. He’s going along and suddenly he has a wrestle with this person, an angel - God Himself. And then the Lord says to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.” And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Gen. 32:27-28.
God changed his name and changed his future.
Some of us live by the wrong name. You see, our present reality is a result of previous thinking. Our present thinking will give us a future reality.
When I went through school, I was not the brightest student. I was probably the most mischievous. I had teachers who would say to me, “Seth, you’re dumb”. I could have listened to that voice, but I chose to listen to another voice who said, “I’ve called you, I’ve named you”. Before I was born, my parents had been trying for some time to have a son. They got special prayer and then next month, here I was, on the way. Their prayer was, “God give us a son. We will look after him, but he’s Yours”. I was called the name Seth, because it means appointed of God.
So, I could listen to what the world was calling me, or I could listen to God’s call. I could listen to the teachers telling me, you’ll never achieve anything – or you and I can listen to God, who says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”. Phil. 4:13.
We can walk tall, walk straight, and look the world right in the eye. Because we are not led by their identity; we are led by the identity of the Son of God who loved us and died for us, rose again for us, and sent the Holy Spirit for us.
Blessings,
Seth Fawcet
Seth Fawcet has spoken at many PKNZ events where God has reached men through Seth's compassion, love and wonderful sense of humour. Seth is the Apostolic Leader of the Hope Centre network and affiliates. Many lives have been healed, transformed and set free through his ministry both in New Zealand and internationally. Seth served as the Senior Pastor of Hope Centre Lower Hutt for more than 20 years.