What Would God Put in a “Get to Know Me” Bag?

Recently, I have returned to work full-time after being a stay-at-home mom for years. As I attended new staff orientation, I was asked to participate in a variety of activities and discussions. One of those was a “Get to Know Me” game where I was asked to place items in a gift bag that represented who I am. Doing this activity is meant to help others get a quick understanding of who you are and what is important to you. It creates the question, if I had to pick only a few things to represent who I am and my character, what would those things be?

As Christians, we get to know our heavenly Father in our faith walk. Through our personal experiences, we are reading stories of His character in scripture and testimonies shared by others. The strength of our faith walk hinges on our consistent relationship and connection to our Creator. Through spiritual growth, God reveals His character and what is important to Him. Then, we strive to share our knowledge and experience of God’s attributes with others. I began to reflect on what I would place in a “Get to Know Me” bag if it was meant to share with others who God is and what is important to Him.

A rainbow.

The rainbow comes from the story of Noah (Genesis Chapter 5- 9). God asked Noah to build an Ark and load it up with his family and the animals of the Earth. After God revealed to Noah the expectation, Noah followed in obedience. The flood began and ended at God’s command. When it was finished, God made a covenant with Noah and every living creature that He would never flood the Earth again. As a symbol of that covenant, He put a “bow in the cloud” (Genesis 9:11-17 ESV). The rainbow represents this example of God’s promises to those who believe in Him. It is one of many more examples in scripture where God shows us His faithfulness.

A piece of fruit.

The fruit represents the fruit of the Spirit. After accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God fills us with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit helps lead us through Spiritual growth to help us share God’s love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control with the world (Galatians 5:16-25). Our Father calls us to share these characteristics with those around us, using Christ as our model. We become the hands and feet of Christ in the broken world we live in by sharing what God, in His kindness, has shared with us.

A cross.

The cross represents who Jesus is, what He did for us and the price He paid as a sacrifice for our sin. It is a symbol of God sending His son to Earth to pay the debt of our sinful nature. This represents God’s love for us to save us from our sin and shame (John 3:16). Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection are the backbone of our faith. The belief that God sent His son to die for our sins, He defeated death, and because of that sacrifice, we now live in freedom. He was responding to that freedom by living a life in gratitude to God.

A Bible.

The Bible is a collection of stories and wisdom that God has led His people to produce for the benefit of those who follow Him. It is one of the big ways we get to know our heavenly Father and receive guidance from Him. Throughout the scripture, we are reminded of God’s character and instructions for how to live a life that will glorify Him. It is God’s living Word that speaks to our hearts and minds, time and time again, reminding us that He is with us and loves us.

A vine and branches.

The vines and their branches are an analogy that represents how we are to stay connected to God (John 15:1-11). It shows His desire for us to have a relationship with Him. It helps us as believers understand that He is our source of strength, hope, peace and wisdom for our lives. And as He pours into us, we can then pour into others, sharing the freedom there is in Christ. It is a reminder to keep our faith as the foundation of our lives and the filter through which we make all decisions. As we “bear fruit” for Him, we become representatives of who God is and His faithfulness (John 15:8).