Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope

Joni Eareckson Tada: This is Joni Eareckson Tada sharing hope. When you obey God, you really do find out who you are.

And I believe that with all my heart. I remember many years ago when I got out of the hospital after the accident in which I became paralyzed, I felt trapped. I felt confined. I was so depressed. Most of all, I did not know who I was. For 17 years, I had lived an athletic, outdoors kind of life into sports like hockey, tennis, and horseback riding. I was always on the go. All that activity pretty much helped define who Joni was. I was a Christian, but it was actually my lifestyle that back then shaped my destiny.

Lying in a hospital bed, stuck in a wheelchair, all my physical props being kicked away from me and fear seizing me, I realized I had no idea who I was. I remember many times lying in bed at night fighting back tears, wondering and worrying, "Oh God, who am I?" Shortly after I got out of the hospital, someone showed me a remarkable little verse in 1 John Chapter 2. It says, "If anyone obeys His word, God's love is truly made complete in him." My friend said, "Joni, you start obeying in small everyday things, because as you do, you'll be made complete in Him.

Just like this Bible verse says, you'll find out who you are. In fact, you'll discover a more complete sense of who you are than you ever did when you were on your feet. Start obeying Him and you'll feel complete." I decided to do just that. I started obeying. I bit my tongue from complaining. I started expressing thanks out loud to my family. I went to Sunday services even if I didn't feel like it. I chose to read the Bible rather than kill time watching TV. I reined in depressing thoughts and tried to focus on the needs of others.

As I obeyed, as I rose to the occasion, I felt an incredible sense of freedom, as though invisible chains fell off me. My chest was lighter, my vision brighter, and a greater degree of faith seemed to enter my heart. I felt so free. The more I obeyed, the more complete I felt. In short, I discovered who Joni was. It's been years since I asked myself that terrifying question, "Who am I?" In those years, I have come to see that we are most free when we are most obedient to God's will, which expresses His idea of us.

When you choose to follow the Lord, especially when it's tough, it feels like you're stepping into your destiny. When we choose the right thing and the right path, it's like we were destined to do that. You've experienced this when you chose to accept Christ as your savior, or you may have sensed this when you said "I do" at the altar when you got married. You knew down deep in your heart that you had done the best thing, the right thing, because you obeyed. You feel even more complete and more free.

Would you like to know more? I've got a little booklet I want to send you called Who I Am in Christ. Believe me, if you're still struggling to find a way or if you're wondering who you are way down deep, I think this special little book will serve as a great guide.

Guest (Male): And you can get your free copy today when you visit us at joniradio.org.

Joni Eareckson Tada: Finally, when you obey God in wholehearted devotion, you do step closer toward His idea of who He has determined you to be. The real you. The you He predetermined before the foundation of the world. That means that when you obey God, in the process, you discover who you are. God bless you, friend, and thanks for listening.