Who do you think you are?
“Who do you think you are?”
Unfortunately, we have ALL heard these words, in some way or another at some point in life. Or maybe you’ve heard another version of that statement, like “what are you trying to prove?” At its core, it is a question of RIGHT.
Whether you realise it or not, that question is intended to produce shame. The goal of this question is to make you believe that you are not worthy, that you’re trying to prove you are something more than you are. Even though the reality is, as a believer you definitely are more than you think you are, and you will always get much more than you can imagine. See at its core, a question of ‘right’ is a question that seeks to determine your authority and permission to act.
And quite frankly it’s not a new line of questioning. The enemies been parading this old number for generations. In scripture, we see that both David and Jesus faced a version of this question.
When David comes to deliver goods to his brothers in 1 Samuel 17:28, his brother gets angry at him saying, “What are you doing around here anyway? What about those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of?” (NLT) David’s brother wasn’t just asking for an explanation, he was questioning his RIGHT to be there (and also his motives). He could have been saying something to the effect of…’who do you think you are to be here?’
And then in Mark 6:3, Jesus himself receives the same kind of questioning. Up until this point Jesus has been healing and performing absurd miracles by the bucketload. But He returns to His hometown and the attendees at a gathering say “Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?”(NIV) In other words, ‘who does he think he is?’
I would hazard a guess that in our lifetime we will all be challenged by this question. If our saviour, and a man after God’s own heart faced it, then it’s probably likely we will also, in the course of living out God’s calling. But we have a hope.
See the enemy has cause to attack us in this way. He knows that we all have our reasons, that we have believed will prevent, prohibit and preclude us from our future in God. For some it may be the colour of their skin, their gender, their ability, their past, their personality, or their appearance…But the fact is that absolutely nothing, that’s right, nothing can stop the will of God and the plans He has. If He has chosen for you to do something, nothing can stand in its way, with the exception of…actually you. That’s right, you are the only person who can stand in the way of yourself. Let me explain. When we start to question our ‘right’ to do what we are doing, we inevitably start to recede. Sometimes we stop trying or sometimes we stop enduring. And the best way to lose a battle, is to not be in it at all. The fact is that we have been given great authority on account of the Holy Spirit, and we have been given permission to walk out the plan God has revealed to us. The enemy can’t stop the plans of God coming to pass, and he knows that. He can only stop you…and that’s why he probably will continue to ask this question for generations to come.
So, if God has made His plan known to you and in the course of your obedience to it you stumble upon this phrase? You remind the enemy that you have more of a right than he does!