I am what I am

From Helen

 When I looked at the readings for today I was reminded of the great Welsh singer who has really put this country on the map with her words of strength, a singer so important that she even managed to have a theme tune for a great film. A woman who has never shied away from her background, born in the best city in the world, Cardiff. Of course I am thinking of the great Dame Shirley Bassey. With a little less glitter and shimmer the song I can think of is ... I am what I am ...

I thought of this because in the epistle reading (1 Cor. 15:1-11) we heard of Paul saying, “I am what I am..”

It got me to thinking about the meaning of those words. In the song, and try not to sing along, it says “ I am what I am, I am my own special creation..” in the reading we heard Paul explaining, who he has been, a persecutor of Christians and then how he had become a follower of Jesus. Paul the persecutor had become Paul the follower. His identity had changed.

Paul knew who he was, so when he wrote, “ I am what I am” he put it all down to God and His grace.

A life changed, a new creation, not a special creation of his own but a new person by God’s Grace. He became someone new. He was changed by God,

I am what I am ... a person changed by God. We are all people who have been changed, transformed by God.

This should mean that we are all confident in God and His promises but we are still who we are. We are transformed, yes, but how often do we see ourselves as God sees us. God looks at us with love. I am what I am ... a follower trying to be more like God Day by day. Someone who turns to God asking to be more like Him.

In our gospel reading (Luke 5:1-11) we heard of the disciples trying to catch fish. They were working hard and when Jesus came along He commanded them to try again. Of course they then had so many fish that their nets broke. Peter was overawed by this and so he fell to his knees asking Jesus not to look at him because he was sinful. In the sight of Jesus for Peter who he was, was someone ashamed.

I am what I am .... Peter like Paul knew that he was not good enough on his own. I am what I am to them meant someone who needed God to make them a new creation and someone who remembered who they were before God.

I am what I am ..... do you feel that you have been transformed by God ? What comes first for you, where you live, your likes and dislikes, your nationality, what you do ?

We are all equal in the sight of God. We are all in need of Him.

 Our readings have been about who we are. I am what I am because of all that God has done for me and keeps doing for me.

I am what I am, and for all of us that is someone who follows God and as we follow we need to be committed to the one that we follow. Our readings today (Isaiah 6:1-8, 1 Cor.15:1-11, Luke 5:1-11) have all said something about who we are and who we are meant to be as followers of Jesus.

There was once a man who had gone on a three day fishing trip. It wasn’t very successful as he didn’t catch any fish at all. He wanted to look impressive went he got back home and without any fish, this would be hard. So on the way home he went to a fish market and picked out 3 large fish. As he was buying them he told the fishmonger, ‘don’t wrap them. Could you just throw them to me one by one, and then when I get home I can honestly tell people that I caught 3 large fish !’

He was neither a good fisherman or honest. When we think about who we are by God’s Grace we can still compare ourselves to other Christians. Others who seem to be better at reading the Bible, others who always seem to know the right thing to say, we compare ourselves and don’t always admit that who we are, what makes us up as people is a reliance on God and His grace.

In our readings today we heard of the call of Isaiah (6:1-8) who was overwhelmed by the majesty and wonder of God so much that he saw himself as not worthy of that call. Paul saw himself as the least of the apostles, Peter saw himself as sinful and not good enough for Jesus to talk to. All people we see as greats of the faith, but like us they had their difficulties in accepting who they were, always wanting to be better.

For us all I am what I am means someone God can use when we rely on Him. We won’t ever be amazing at everything. I have to admit to lying - and this may surprise you - when I say that the only reason I have never played sport for Wales is that I would be so good I need to give everyone else a chance to play !!

I am what I am for me does not mean perfect, hence the lie about my sporting prowess ! None of us are perfect.

But something that is the same for all of us is that I am what I am means to be someone who God can and will use to change the lives of those around us by loving and by being as Him to people. Most of all we are to help others to see that I am what I am is the same for all of us in the end. Someone that God loves and thought worth dying for. I am what I am, I am God’s special creation. May we always be sure in that knowledge that we are all who we are by God’s grace, a special creation. AMEN