Who Am I?

I've decided to study the book of Romans this summer - I'm planning to spend a week digging in to each chapter. Here's what jumped out at me today:

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God... Romans 1:1

This is the first sentence in a looooong letter that Paul is writing to the believers in Rome. Right off the bat, Paul identifies himself. Since he had never personally met this group of Christians, there are lots of things he could have said by way of introduction. Paul was a pretty impressive guy from his world's point of view: educated, influential, well-connected, etc... But Paul doesn't mention any of that. He sees himself first and foremost as "a servant of Christ Jesus". His encounter with Christ changed everything for him, set his feet on a completely different path. Now, instead of following his own inclinations and desires, his relationship with Jesus and his calling to serve Him determine his identity and direction. 

What about my identity? Who am I? For most of my life, it was based upon my achievements, my talents, my accomplishments. Or on my occupation, my position: student, wife, mother, leader; or what other people said about me...What I did, not who I was. But now, I'm learning to find my worth and value in whose I am.  I am a servant of Christ Jesus. He has saved me and called me and set me apart, too. 

The question I've been struggling with lately, however, is this: how is this actually playing out in my life? Do my choices reflect my calling? Are my thoughts, words and actions in line with what Jesus is inviting me to participate in? The answers to these questions don't determine who I am or affect my inherent value, but what's inside will come out in how I live my life. 

Challenge: 
- to be a little more thoughtful as I go about my day, taking notice of my motivation and behaviour, to see just how it lines up with what I say I believe.
- to allow Jesus to remind me who I really am, and to transform my life more and more in that direction