“Before I was born the Lord called me; from my mother’s womb, He has spoken my name.”
Isaiah 49:1 (NIV)
What a beautiful thought, that before we were born, God called us by name. While we were in our mother’s womb, we received our very first introduction to God’s voice, as He called our name.
This scripture could refer to Jesus, who became incarnate in a womb, but it can also apply to every person. God loves all people and has a plan for all of our lives. It’s a reminder that He not only has a plan but He has called us by our name, early on. He did it so that we would recognize His voice later on, and know our true identity is in Him.
The earliest identity that Jesus had, was being known as “the carpenter’s son.” (Mark 13:55) He learned everything about carpentry from His father, Joseph, long before He was ever called Rabbi or teacher by His disciples. Jesus probably never forgot anything that Joseph taught Him, but in those last three years of His life and ministry, He spoke only of His Heavenly Father. Although He loved Joseph, He never mentioned him in any of His teaching and preaching, according to the gospels. His identity made a clear transition from Jesus, the son of the carpenter, to Jesus, the Son of God.
We are all sons and daughters of God, and it’s an identity that we also transition to, at some stage in our lives. Our identity in God always overshadows our first identity in life.
I remember my first identity. When I was young, I used to visit my mother at her workplace, which was walking distance from my school. I entered through the front door of a ladies’ dress shop, then walked all the way to the back room, where a team of seamstresses were seated in front of their sewing machines. As I walked by, I could hear employees say, “That’s Marge’s daughter.” My mother was a seamstress and the head fitter in that ladies’ dress shop, and my identity back then was as Marge’s daughter.
Later, when I invited Jesus into my heart and life, I transitioned from that first identity, to a new awareness of the heavenly benefits and all the wonders of being a child of my Heavenly Father. We all belong to God, and deep within our soul and spirit, He has left the mark of His voice. We can still recognize His voice that once called us by name from inside our mother’s womb. It’s the small still voice that leads us today.
For those who have been neglected or rejected by their biological families, and suffered much pain in their first identity, my hope is that they will find their truest identity is not a biological one, but a spiritual one, in being a son or daughter of God. A few residents at the Nursing Facility shared their stories with me, of an early distorted identity due to a sad, dysfunctional childhood. I’ve learned that even those who had good childhoods, still suffer later with dysfunctional family situations.
There are two people who are temporary residents in the Nursing Facility. They are fortunate to have had strong family relationships, faith in God and receive regular visits by their loved ones. The reality is that even people with close family ties, still get hurt when their families let them down.
The two residents I’m referring to are expecting to be discharged one day next month, and plan to go home and live with a family member. A man who is recovering from an episode of heart failure, will eventually go to live with his older sister, whenever he is discharged.
A lady, who is recovering from brain cancer and is in remission, is expecting to go home and live with her oldest son and his family, when she is discharged.
Both of them, although their identity with family is a strong one, still had disappointments this past Easter weekend. He expected his sister to bring him some Easter foods that she cooked, and she expected her family to pick her up and take her home for the Easter weekend.
The man said he was informed by his sister that she was too busy helping to plan her daughter’s upcoming wedding and didn’t cook her usual big Easter meal, so she never visited or brought any food to her brother. The lady waited all day in her room on Easter, but no family member showed up, to pick her up and bring her home for the weekend. I don’t know if she misunderstood the plan or they did. I felt heartbroken for both of them, when I later learned what happened.
I cannot decide which is sadder, residents who have no one who ever visits them, or those whose family members neglect or forget about them on a major holiday like Easter.
Our very first identity in life is in being someone’s son or daughter. Later, that identity develops into being a parent, a spouse, grandparent or a sibling. There comes a time when we realize that our truest identity which never changes, is in being God’s son or daughter. Being God’s child comes with no disappointments and no false hopes. God is true and unchanging, His promises are secure, and being His own child, is the best identity to live with. He is our Heavenly Father, the Almighty One, who holds all the days of our life in His hands.
We will recognize that His voice was the one who has been guiding our lives all along. It’s that same voice who once called us by our name from inside the womb. We cannot consciously remember being called from the womb, but our soul recognizes His voice when we hear it. Some have named that voice within, calling it our “conscience,” but Jesus told us it’s His voice. He is the good Shepherd, who has placed a longing within us, which began in the womb, and it can only be satisfied when we respond to Him.
Our true identity is found in listening for that familiar voice of Jesus, who said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
(John 10:27)
Lord, what a loving Father and Good Shepherd you are, to have placed your voice within us so that we can know and follow you all of our days, in our true identity as your sons and daughters. Thank you that we have always belonged to you first. Amen