Luke 9:18-20–Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”  19 And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.” 20 Then he said to them, “Butwho do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” 
One of the great treasures we have in true companionship, is a knowledge or an intimacy that we desire to preserve.  The greater the intimacy with someone you love, the more you treasure keeping that relationship intact and healthy.  People don’t generally “do maintenance” with people they are merely acquaintances with…
People can perceive to know you in one way, while others can truly know you.  This was the point Jesus was making with His disciples.  That while going to Jerusalem to fulfill God’s purpose, the disciples who were going to be the eventual ambassadors of the gospel, had to truly know who they were going to live and die for!  That without true intimacy, people do not make continual sacrifices of themselves to progress in the relationship…(Acts 21:13,1 Corinthians 15:31, Philippians 1:21)
If you consider any truly close relationship you have been in, be it a friendship, marriage, relative, etc.  What made that relationship feel close was that the person truly knew you.  You may have disclosed personal things and grew to trust them, or you have endured hardship together, and stayed connected at the heart, and the bond grew even stronger!  All of these instances create an intimacy, that is needed for a journey and purpose together, built up in love. (Ephesians 3:17, 4:16)
So when it comes to Jesus, do you first know who you are?  Because if God and His Word is not the “mirror” in which we see ourselves, than do we truly know who we are before God and people?  The Bible calls the Living Word our mirror, that when we look into it, we see ourselves for who we really are before God.  Not what people may be saying about us or defining us as.  People cannot know us like God does, nor how we should know ourselves…(1 Corinthians 13:12, James 1:23-25)
Like Jesus, who was on a mission to Jerusalem to fulfill God’s purpose.  When we know who we are and what we are called to do, we cannot be manipulated or influenced by what others say we are.  Knowing who we are in Christ, by doing “daily maintenance” in accepting His rebuke and encouragement, builds us up to define ourselves by God and others who intimately know us.  Provoking us to unify and walk closely with those who want to build for His purpose.  Instead of lost in some image we allow people to perceive us as, which is probably not accurate…(Colossians 2:7, 3:3)
In His Love, Ld