Listen

Now when Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Human One is?”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”

He said, “And what about you? Who do you say that I am?”

Simon Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Matthew 16:13-16

Think

Discerning who God is and how God came into the world through Jesus guides us toward discerning what is good and pleasing and mature. Like the disciples, we will hear different definitions of God throughout our lives. And like the disciples, we must come to our own understanding of God and allow that understanding to guide everything we do.

This task requires more of that inward turning, listening for the voice of God, rather than seeking understanding from the outside world. Reaching out through prayer, reading scripture, and spending time alone with God are all practices you can adopt this school year as a way to recalibrate yourself to God’s will rather than the will of those around you. As you find your identity in how God sees you instead of how people see you, you can grow more fully into the person God designed you to be.

Lauren Dunn

Question to Ponder:

What is my current understanding of God, and how do I hope to deepen that understanding?

Pray

God, people have been trying to define you and explain you for thousands of years. Guide me instead toward understanding that you are present in my life each day and want only what is best for me. Amen.

Go

Go into the world resting in the confidence of your identity in God, who designed you, loves you, and goes with you every step of the way.