Spiritual Well - Being with Angus Buchan pt (i)

Know who you are

The Lord asked the disciples: "Who do men say that I am?" Some said that He was Elijah the prophet, some said He was John the Baptist. Jesus pressed them even further, asking who they thought He was. Peter, the big fisherman, said: "You are the Messiah, The Son of the Living God!" Mark 8:27.

It's so important to know who you are. When people ask you what your occupation is, lift your head up high, push your shoulders back and say: "I'm a farmer, I'm a country boy, I'm a man of the land." In Romans 1:16, it says: "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes." As followers of Jesus Christ we need to understand that we have nothing to be ashamed of.

If we become outspoken about who we believe in, God will give us the power to run this race with purpose and dignity. It makes me so sad to hear a young lady, who has beautiful children and who happens to be a farmer's wife, apologising for being a housewife when asked what her occupation is.

I want to suggest to you ladies that you're the backbone of any farming or business enterprise. They always say that behind a great man is a greater woman. You'll find that people of the calibre of Sir Winston Churchill spoke more about his mother than his father. You'll find Godly men of the calibre of John Wesley, who preached about 40 000 sermons in his lifetime, saying his greatest mentor and inspiration was his mother Suzanna. She had something like 18 children and her husband was a pastor, so she had very little money and a very small house, but she was a tremendous example to her children.

You need to know who you are and you need to be proud of it. Abraham Lincoln was a country boy, born in a long cabin. He would often go to an agricultural show, take off his top hat and his coat, roll up his sleeves and take an axe and split wood faster than any country boy. Maybe that's why he was such a beloved president. Asked a question, he always gave a simple, profound answer because he knew who he was. "If you have 6 hours to cut down a tree, how would you do it?" he was once asked. "I would spend the first four hours sharpening the axe and the other two cutting down the tree," replied Lincoln.

If you know who you are in Christ, you have nothing to fear. Do not be ashamed of the fact that God has given you the privilege to farm His land for Him. Always remember that it is on loan. It was there before you arrived and it'll be there after you leave........................................................................the soil and the earth, and everything on it, are the Lord's.