Mufasa: "Simba, you have forgotten me."
Simba: "No. How could I?"
Mufasa: "You have forgotten who you are and so have forgotten me. Look inside yourself Simba. You are more than what you have become..."
In the animated movie "The Lion King," Simba grows up taking life easy away from where he belongs. As long as Simba can forget he is the son of a king, he can do whatever he likes, ""Hakuna matata!"and all that "no worries" stuff. He has nothing to live up to, because he has chosen to be nothing.
But then he has an encounter with his father, Mufasa the King, who reminds him that by forgetting who he really is, he has forgotten his father as well.
We can do the same. I hear many people say,"I'm nothing, I'm just a sinner saved by grace, I'm a worm..." or other phrases like it.
While it is true that we were nothing apart from Christ, that is not at all what the Bible says we are now, in Christ. As long as we believe we are nothing, we can act like we are nothing. We have no obligation to do otherwise. After all, who counts on a "nothing" to do anything of value?
However what does God's word say we are?
"For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." Romans 8:14-17 (NIV)
And Jesus also said,
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:13-16 (NIV)
It's time we accept who we truly are in Christ and rise up to our calling, and live our lives as sons and daughters of the Living God.
As Paul said, "As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received." Eph 4:1 (NIV)
