God says: I chose you. You are mine. I made you to be who you are for a reason. You are a part of my household, my body, my holy people.
But, the words inside my head don’t always match: You’re not pretty enough. You’re too quiet. You will never make it as a writer.
The question I often ask is: Which voice should I listen to and believe? There seems to be a large gap between who I think I am and who the God of the universe tells me I am. My goal is to resolve these differences and close this gap.
God says, you are loved, you are a light in the world and you are strong in his mighty power. I sometimes forget the significance that these promises hold in my life. But, God is so, so good, and these promises remain true to this day:
- Truth: You are loved. (Ephesians 5:25-32)
When God says “I love you,” he means it. And because of his perfect love, I know what it is feels like to be completely noticed and understood. That is really what we all want, isn’t it? We want someone who “gets us.” Someone who pays attention to us and cares about all that we are going through. God has been teaching me that He is that person, and I can go to him for anything because of it.
- Truth: You are a light in the Lord. (Ephesians 5:8-20)
I know what it feels like to wonder if I ever have or ever will make a difference in the lives of those around me. And yet, God trusts me enough to call me his light. (How amazing is that?) As long as I am living “in all goodness, righteousness, and truth” (Ephesians 5:9) and “making the most of every opportunity” (Ephesians 5:16) (every interaction with others, every moment spent in prayer), I can trust that God is planting seeds along the way. Because of his faithfulness and through his help alone, I am making a difference in the lives of those around me.
- Truth: You are strong in his mighty power. (Ephesians 6:10-17)
I call myself… Gentle. Quiet. Peace-maker. Maybe even timid. And yet, God says that I am strong. He tells me to “put on the full armor of God, so that [I] can take [my] stand against the devil’s schemes” and fight boldly against “the powers of this dark world” (Ephesians 6:11-12). God has given me his righteousness, his salvation, his Word, and so much more as my armor. Because of him, I have the power to stand up, make a difference, and accomplish those far-off dreams that he has placed inside my heart.
I can rest in the knowledge that my identity is in Christ, and know that I truly am who God says I am. In fact, he knows me better than I know myself, for I am the person he has created me to be: loved, a light in this world, and strong in his mighty power.
