Watermarked

When my wife Candy was a young girl her dad used to tell her, “Always remember who

you are and who you represent.” That’s a good rule to follow. But who are you, really?

Did you ever look at a piece of high-quality paper and notice that there’s a faint but

distinct image imbedded in the paper? It’s called a watermark. When you hold the paper up to the light, you can see a pattern made by varying the thickness in the paper. A watermark can be used for dating documents and for identifying the paper’s quality. A watermark is not on the paper. It’s actually in the paper.

When you were conceived in your mother’s womb, the Lord put his watermark in your

soul. You belong uniquely to him and bear his image—a fact dramatically restated when you place your faith in Christ and you are baptized into him. No matter what you look like on the outside, no matter how many moments or years since you were conceived, the bright light of God’s truth shows who you really are—and knowing who you are changes everything.

My granddaughter goes to school (she’s in first grade) and rides her bike. That’s what she does, but it’s not who she is. She’s a precious creation of God.

Ben Utecht plays tight-end in the NFL. That’s what he does, but it’s not who he is. He is a Christian who uses his skill as an athlete and a musician to honor the Lord.

Karen Carnahan serves as president over a division of a large company. That’s how she makes her living, but it’s not all she lives for. Karen is a serious Christian devoting her life to the service of God.

Henry David Thoreau wrote, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” He

contemplated how terrible it would be if “when I came to die, I discover I had not lived.” But that won’t happen if we remember who we are.

Russ Blowers served for years as the senior minister of East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis. He attended the local Rotary Club, and when it was time for him to formally introduce himself to the group he didn’t want to give a predictable response and say, “I’m a minister,” so he said:

Hi, I'm Russ Blowers. I’m with a global enterprise. We have branches in every country in the world. We have representatives in nearly every parliament and boardroom on earth. We're into motivation and behavior alteration. We run hospitals, feeding stations, crisis-pregnancy centers, universities, publishing houses, and nursing homes. We care for our clients from birth to death. We are into life insurance and fire insurance. We perform spiritual heart transplants.

Our original Organizer owns all the real estate on earth plus an assortment of galaxies and constellations. He knows everything and lives everywhere. Our product is free for the asking. (There's not enough money to buy it.) Our CEO was born in a hick town, worked as a carpenter, didn't own a home, was misunderstood by his family and hated by his enemies, walked on water, was condemned to death without a trial, and arose from the dead. I talk with him every day.

Remember who you are and who you represent. You are a jar of clay where the Creator of the universe has deposited priceless treasure. You are the light of the world reflecting rays from the source of Light himself.

Your heavenly Father wove you into a unique and incomparable creation. No one else has your DNA or your fingerprints. No one else has your social network and your circle of influence. No one else has your God-given opportunities to serve. Even if you’re a twin, you are one of a kind.

You bear the watermark of God.