God Wants to Introduce You to Yourself

And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel...  Genesis 32:28

Rather we want to admit it or not society sets boundaries, restrictions and categories for our lives that God has never intended.  Inadvertently our culture tells us to stay in our place. And subjectively many have done just that, becoming products of their environment.  Limited to whom and to where we were born.  Reduced to what we’ve experienced and affirmed by what others have said.  Accepting what is. 

In Genesis 32^nd chapter a man name Jacob is introduced to himself.  You see Jacob was defined by his name.  When He heard his name it not only defined who he was but it confined him to what he was.  The name Jacob means supplanter, trickster, con-man and deceiver, which very well suited his character.  Every time Jacob heard his name he played out and participated within the role that was subscribed for him.  His own mom assisted in the development of his character that helped sculpt him into this personage. She schemes a plan to have Jacob trick his dad into thinking that he was his brother Esau; so he could gain Esau’s blessing.  Working as planned. 

Later in life Jacob’s uncle Laban deceives him into marrying Leah instead of Rachel.  The same characteristic that was rooted in Jacob’s mother was rooted in his mother’s brother, those same traits being conveyed through Jacob.  Jacob becomes a product of his environment and of his up rearing.   

And like so many of us we too become what and who our environment, family, friends and society has told us we are. Yet God wants to introduce you to yourself as He did with Jacob.  During a crisis at the crossroad moment Jacob gets alone with God.  Key point.  For God to introduce you to yourself you must get alone with Him. Jacob was asked a question. Q:  What’s your name?  In other words who do others say that you are; but more importantly who do you say that you are?  A: “My name is Jacob”.

He comes face to face with the person he had become. God tells him “no longer will you be called Jacob”, trickster, supplanter, con-man, nor deceiver. I’ve come to introduce you to yourself.  Your name will be called Israel; for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men. God introduces Jacob to himself! Yes, one moment in the presence of God has the potential to awaken you to the real you!

In like manner God desires to introduce you to yourself.  To do so you must be willing to get alone with HIM! He desires to reveal to you who you were before the foundations of the world.  Before you were in your mother’s womb He knew you.  Before you were born He called you by name.  Don’t be afraid to become who you really are.

Your deepest fear is not that you’re inadequate. Your deepest fear is that you are powerful beyond measure. It is your light not your darkness that most frightens you.  You ask yourselves, who are you to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. You were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within you. It's not just in some it's in everyone. And as you let your own light shine, you unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As you are liberated from your own fear, your presence automatically liberates others. 

(By Marianne Williamson)

Allow God to introduce you to yourself!!! 

One moment in the presence of God has the potential to awaken you 

to the real you!