Who Are You?

In a recent young adult Bible class, we discussed 1 Samuel 18:1-16, and the lesson really intrigued me. In this passage, we learn David was striving his best to do what God wanted him to do. We also learn that Jonathan loved David as himself, and helped David to excel. Saul, on the other hand, was so jealous of David that he tried to harm David, to the point of attempting murder.

Then the question was broached – “Who are you?” Really, who are you? Are you David, seeking God’s will above everything else? Are you Jonathan, selflessly serving others? Or, are you Saul, only caring about what you want, and becoming jealous of others when they surpass you in some area?

If you’re a David, you can make it through the Sauls, through prayer (Matthew 5:44), and with help from the Jonathans in your life. If you’re a Jonathan, then God bless you! Sometimes you may not know how much you’ve helped someone through a difficult situation, but keep on keeping on, because you will receive your reward one day (Matthew 6:3-4).

If you’re a Saul, learn to feel secure in your own successes so you don’t need to be jealous of others in theirs, pray for forgiveness (Acts 8:22), ask forgiveness of the people you’ve purposely hurt (1 John 1:9), and prayerfully strive to resist jealous impulses in the future. Recognize that everybody has their own God-given potentials and talents, and respect others for the talents they have (1 Corinthians 12:4-6). Only when you learn to focus on doing your own best, and stop worrying about everybody else, will you be able to live up to the full potential He has planned for you.

By Davonne Parks