Am I A Somebody Or A Nobody?

Am I a Somebody or a Nobody?

Have you ever asked yourself this question? Have you ever wondered how people see you in this world? Are you relevant? We all seek relevance in this world and for some of us it is harder to find than others. We ask, "Does our life really matter outside of living for our self? What is our  place in this world or more specifically, how do we fit into our own?" Do I like the answer? Am I a Somebody or a Nobody?

We all aspire to be somebody. As kids we are asked, "what do you want to be when you grow up?" Perhaps your answer was a fireman, a great athlete, or a nurse or doctor. Perhaps it was winning American Idol or being a Billionaire! Whatever your answer, it was to be somebody. Mine was to be a great basketball player. Big dream for a white suburban kid who couldn't jump over a quarter. But if I could have made it, become the Lebron James of my generation if you will. I would have had the admiration of my family friends and community (plus a boatload of money). I would have been somebody!

Forgive me as I imagine other possibilities:

Let me imagine I found a cure for cancer or was the architect for peace in the Middle East, or solved the problem of Global Famine. I became a Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, or Albert Einstein. I have helped humanity! I am loved by millions! I am a somebody!

Or let's say I am Bill Gates, or Warren Buffett, or Donald Trump. I have made billions and people say I have a Midas touch. I am respected for my business acumen and philanthropy. People seek my council on creating wealth! I am a somebody!

Now let's get closer down to earth:

I am a productive member of my community, respected by my peers and those who are close to me. I like my job and it likes me. I enjoy what I do and who I am. I am active in my community and I am loved by those important to me. I am a somebody!

But what about the other side of the spectrum? Imagine if:

My friends are few and I really don't know where I fit. I hate my job and it really doesn't care too much for me. I'm stranded in loneliness and depression. I am trying to find my way in this world, but this world could care less. Pleasure is temporary, but pain is constant. Not sure if anyone loves me, I feel like a loser, I feel like a nobody.

Or.....

I have hurt many in my life and forgiveness is hard to find. It just seems I can't do anything right. I don't like being what I am, but I can't change. I want to do right, but it never seems to work out that way. How can I change this path I'm on? I am lost and have no value, I want to be loved, but I'm a nobody.

Or.....

I am a loner and struggle with self worth. This is based on the fact that I am irrelevant. I have nothing to offer or contribute. I feel ugly and unlovable. I am a nobody.

Or.....

I struggle with addiction. I use to enjoy the high, but now it controls me. It use to be an escape but now it's a curse. My addiction is now bigger than me. My only friends are fellow addicts who, like me, are untrustworthy. Respected people, even my family, have shunned me. I am lost and unloved, I am a nobody.

What is truth?

The truth is no matter who we are in this world, what we have accomplished or not, we are loved by God. Nothing we have done, positive or negative, will affect the love that God has for us. the Apostle Paul put it like this:

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

Nothing can separate us from His love, nothing! Not even what we have done to others or ourselves, we are loved by God. Even if we cursed His name in the past or mocked those who followed His way, He still loves us, He still loves me and He still loves you! 

And check this out, not only does He love you but those who truly follow Him love you too! Listen to the Apostle John:

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:7-8)

You might be thinking, "yeah, they haven't met me yet. I am of little use or value and nobody could love me, I have a hard time loving myself." I get that, and I have been there. We all have been through times where we feel worthless and ashamed of who we are or what we have done. But in the eyes of God, not only does He love us, but He sees value! King David recognized this:

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:13)

For my father and mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in. (Psalm 27:11)

"Okay, Okay, he loves me and he sees value, but where does that leave me?" you might ask. Here is the great part, not only does He love you and see value, but He has mapped out a plan for your life that will make you a Somebody!

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for  welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Did you get that? He has a plan for you whether you have one for yourself or not. He created you for purpose, not just to exist. You have worth in His eyes and to those who follow Him. We all hear about blessings when we get to heaven, the by and by, and I don't want to underscore that, but I am talking about the now and now. God wants you on His team to be successful in this life. He wants to make you a somebody!

Your Friend,

Will