What do you say about yourself?

Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.” They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” John 1:19-22

By this point in the year, chances are that the resolutions we made for ourself have either gone as quickly as they came, or we’ve doubled down, stayed the course, and are starting to think that maybe, just maybe, this will be the year that we stick with them. For most of us, the resolutions we make are tied to some form of self-improvement, whether that be physical, emotional, relational, or spiritual. Perhaps we want to drop a few pounds, learn a new language, or practice intentional kindness toward others. Whatever it may be, the aim is that when next year rolls around, we will be something more, something different than who we are today. 

These questions of identity and purpose come to mind as I reflect once again on the well known words of John the Baptist in John 1. More specifically, I find the Jewish leaders’ question to John to be one of utmost importance, not only for him, but for every person who has ever lived: “What do you say about yourself?” I am increasingly convinced that our ability to answer this question with clarity and purpose is the key to a life lived well.

It isn’t easy to know ourselves. This requires endless searching and examination. As the early Christian leader Gregory the Theologian once beautifully said in the opening stanza of a poem,

You have a job to do, soul, and a great one, if you like:

examine yourself, what it is you are and how you act,

where you come from, and where you’re going to end,

and whether to live is this very life you’re living, or something else besides. 

When faced with the question of identity and purpose, John the Baptist did what every one of us must likewise learn to do: he knew himself in reference to Christ. His meaning in life was found not in his own achievements or attributes but in his ability to point others to Christ. This was the reason for his existence and the only path to a life of deep fulfillment. With the words of Isaiah 40 on his lips, John summed up the whole of his life with these words, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord’” (John 1:23). May we do the same, longing for nothing more in our lives than the life of Christ and for those around us to experience the same.