It’s Not What You Do, It’s Whose You Are

In the movie, “Batman Begins,” there is a scene in which Bruce Wayne meets his childhood friend, Rachel Dawes, after having been away from Gotham City for some time.  Bruce has returned and is beginning to secretly fight crime as Batman.  But in public he is living out a “spoiled rich kid” persona to further mask his identity as Batman.

When he runs into Rachel in the midst of one of his more outlandish displays of immaturity, he tries to explain to her that what she is seeing is not who he really is.

Rachel replies by saying, “Bruce, deep down inside you may still be that same great kid you used to be…But it’s not who you are underneath…it’s what you do that defines you.”

“It’s not who you are underneath…it’s what you do that defines you.”  And in typical Hollywood/Comic Book Character fashion, Bruce, as Batman, goes on to try to define himself by what he does as a superhero crime fighter.

“It’s not who you are underneath…it’s what you do that defines you.”  OK for Hollywood; maybe OK for fictional superhero crimefighters…but not good spiritual anthropology.  In fact, it sounds more like a humanistic psychology.

Worship leaders face the very real temptation to constantly assess their value based on performance.  “That was a great set!” or “I wasn’t ‘on’ today.”  I often try to remind worship leaders that “you’re probably not as bad as your worst Sunday; nor are you as good as your best Sunday,” as far as performance goes.  The goal is to have a long trajectory of faithful ministry unto the Lord.

In Exodus 3 Moses is in a conversation with God.

You remember the conversation… (verse 13) “Moses says to God, ‘Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, “The God of your fathers has sent me to you.” And they ask me, “What is his name?”  Then what shall I tell them?’  God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.  This is what you are to say to the Israelites: “I AM has sent me to you.”’”

When Moses asked God His Name…when he asked God to define Himself, God did not define Himself by what He does, He defined Himself by Who He Is…I AM.  It is indicative of His Nature….I AM… “The Self-Existing One.”

Think of all the ways God could have described His Himself by His actions.  “I created light…I created water…I created the world….I created man…I created you...I created Pharoah….I created the Israelites and the Egyptians….I put the stars in place…The sun and moon are in their places because of me…I made all the planets, moons, and stars you can see, and myriads of others you cannot see…”

No, He simply said, “I Am.”  God does not define Himself by what He does, but by Who He Is.  It is the nature of Who He Is that is expressed in what He does.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus defines Himself by Who He Is rather than what He does.

1. I am the bread of life.John 6:35
2. I am the light of the world.John 8:12; 9:5
3. I am the door.John 10:9
4. I am the good shepherdJohn 10:11
5. I am the resurrection, and the life.John 11:25
6. I am the way, the truth, and the life.John 14:6
7. I am the vine.John 15:5
8. I am…I am (Ex.3:14)John 4:26; 8:24, 28, 58; 13:13, 19; 18:5, 6, 8

The world says, “It’s not who you are underneath, but what you do that defines you.”  OK if you’re a superhero crime fighter…But what if you’re just a regular person like you and me?  What if you’re a worship leader struggling with anxiety about performance?  What about when you stand to lead worship and the enemy is whispering in your ear that you’re not gifted or talented enough to be in that position?  Or he reminds you of some sin in your past? Be careful who you allow to judge your significance and to assess your success or failure.

Remember who you are in Christ.  According to Ephesians:

1. I am in Christ. (1:1)
2. I am seated in the heavenly places in Christ. (1:3)
3. I am chosen in Christ. (1:4)
4. I am adopted through Christ. (1:5)
5. I am in the beloved. (1:6)
6. I am redeemed in Him. (1:7)
7. I am given an inheritance in Him. (1:11)
8. I am trusting in Him. (1:12)
9. I am sealed in Him. (1:13)
10. I am made alive together with Christ. (2:5)
11. I am raised and seated with Him. (2:6)
12. I am created in Christ. (2:10)
13. I am brought near by His blood. (2:13)
14. I am growing in Christ. (2:21)
15. I am a partaker of the promise in Christ. (3:6)
16. I am given access through faith in Him. (3:12)

What I do doesn’t define me….how well I perform doesn’t define me…what I am underneath in my relationship with Christ is what defines me.  My significance is determined based upon my relationship with Him, not my performance.

Our significance is not found in what we do or accomplish, it is found in our recognition of Who Jesus is and of our relationship to Him.

Peter saw it.  When Jesus asked of him in Matthew 16, “Who do you say that I am?”  Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  And it was Peter’s understanding of that truth that enabled him to write to you and me and all believers…

“You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”  I Peter 2:9, 10 NKJV

And later Peter says to us, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature…” 2 Peter 1:3, 4 NIV

What is it that defines who I am?  It’s not what I do…it’s who I am in Christ.  I agree with Jesus.  He says to me, “Apart from me you can do nothing.”  And I also thank God for the words of Paul, “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.”

It’s not what you do…it’s whose you are.