Who Are You?

Nigerians love the "do you know who i am?" question, often rhetorical used by people with little or no substance to intimidate their way through situations. It often sends fear to the person asked... what if it's one 'big' oga? I often wonder what the reaction would be if their question is replied with a defiant "Who are you?" Probably a lot of stuttering.

What if while taking a walk one lovely evening, you come upon a hookah smoking caterpillar and like Alice, he asks you “who are you?” In this case we're sure he doesn't want to hear the fact that you're the son of a governor, of the CEO of an oil company or wife to a billionaire. The caterpillar's question goes beyond your title, it strips you of the labels and goes deep inside. It helps to be prepared so you don’t have to have all that confusing brain busting talk with him like Alice.

who are you?

The world Is chaotic, and filled with unpredictability. Without a sense of self to anchor you, you’ll drift wherever the tide takes you. Toss and turn and be different people all in one, to a point where you loose the plot completely. You're photoshopped to the last detail, nothing , not even your walk is yours, it’s more of Miriam’s, your talk mirrors Abu’s and style is more of Sophie’s. You don’t even recognize you anymore. It’s too late to recall the picture, thus the world sees you as this photoshopped person who you’re not so sure you are. Conflicted, out of your head.

Who are you? When you dine with the world, the more you eat, the more you outgrow the outfit of the real you, and fit into an illusion, addicted to the nothingness you’re feeding on. Shallow, insecure, greedy, and vain. It’s all about what they expect of you, never what your (heavenly) Father expects of you. It’s about what they think of you, not what He thinks of you and what you think of yourself.

The world is crazy… don't ignore that fact. One moment you’re starving to be a size zero, doing the latest diet trend, next they say you need a little more flesh, suits you more. And just as you’re stocking your fridge up, someone wakes up to say zero is back in… Purple is the new black, which was pink just yesterday, which was blue a few hours ago. It’s a crazy world, and if you’ve got nothing to hold on to, the craziness will conquer you.

One minute the world wants you to be this deep intellect, the next they want you to be just like Kim Kardashan, even though they diss her…

In your uncertainty, you become insecure, thus your life and your whole existence is defined by the clothes you wear, the crowd you mingle with, who writes on your wall on facebook or who tweets at you, the restaurants you’re seen at and the magazines you appear in. It doesn’t matter that you hate sushi or look like ‘willy willy’ in that lace wig… that’s what the world says you should do and so be it.

Your mind has been so invaded, and like a child you’re lost and not sure which is your right hand or your left anymore. There are faint pictures of what used to be wrong as a child, but as an adult it doesn’t matter anymore because everyone else is doing it. Your desperation to fit in defines you, your shopping sprees are your devotions, and the tabloids and fashion magazines are your bibles.

It’s time to stop and take a deep breath.

Save yourself from this crooked generation. Acts 2:40b

As a Christian, you weren’t born to fit in; you were made to make a difference.  To be a misfit. You were not born to be enslaved by the world’s standard, which is below the heavenly standard “God paid a high price for you, so don't be enslaved by the world.” 1 Corinthians 7:23

As a child of the king of kings, you are royalty. Don’t you know that ye are gods? A prince/princess born to reign, with a father who loves you?

Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. Romans 12:2(msg)


The world, just like the white rabbit would tell you it’s right all the time… if you’re unaware of who and the one you belong to, you’ll end up believing it everytime it sells an idea to you as the accepted norm… I love this song exchange between Alice and the White rabbit…

	John Barry - The Last Word Is Mine .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

  

White Rabbit: I'm right all the time so just refrain
disobedience and its ingredients are just not entertaining
don't answer me back and we'll be fine
the last word is mine.
So go on and do as you're told Mary, at once

Alice: I can't be Mary
cause Mary is daunty while Mary is fat
Mary has freckles and sings like a cat, I'm not Mary.

White Rabbit: Don't be stupid, of course you are
if I say you're Mary, then you're Mary
you don't make me butch, my word is law
can't diminishing it we must be finishing
you are a pest and it's bored
be off with you child, go sock and thime
the last word is mine.
So go on and fetch my gloves and fan Mabel, at once

Alice: I can't be Mabel
cause Mabel is skinny she looks like a leaf
Mabel is stingy she's ever so mean
I'm not Mabel.

White Rabbit: If I say you are Mabel, then you are Mabel
you won't ever learn that I am right
you're unteachable, your friends unreachable
in fact you're not very bright
I'll tell you once more, then I'll resign
the last word is mine.

Like Alice, wake up and realize that you’re not Mabel, neither are you Mary, nor Ahmed or Ik… Push back and stand up to the world as intimidating as it looks when it defines who you should be. Hook your soul to Christ, the anchor that keeps you from drifting far away from who you are, the one that rocks you steady when the world threatens to sink you. 

“So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.” Hebrews 6:18-19

“Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the Presence of His Glory with exceeding joy.” Jude 1:24 

Who are you? Child of the king. Royalty. Standing out and not blending in, easily found in the crowd and not lost in it. Born to set kingdom standards and not conform to the worlds standard. The one who has the heart of the king. The  daughter/son that Jesus loves... Or The one who follows the trends regardless, lost in a crowd of nothingness, a prince/princess choosing to be a slave in the world when you can rule as a king in your fathers house...