Identity Over Insecurity

This topic is deeply personal to me because it is something I have struggled with before in the past and to this day must conquer. Growing up with severe skin problems, the other kids were quick to notice. Sometimes they didn’t even want to be near me for the fear of “catching” what I had. This quickly became a defining recurrence contributing to the way I would look at myself for years. I allowed my feelings to manifest into compulsive insecurity and anxiety about my self-image. 

 I suspect that many of you can relate or have your own similar story involving  a defining moment that led to insecurity in your life. It’s good to know that there’s someone out there who has felt the same things you have. But by turning away from the world’s definition of acceptable and not only feeling but knowing your identity is in the only One who sees you for your heart, you can be reminded that there is so much more. 1 Samuel 16:17 says, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  

As believers we know our identity is in Christ. However, the enemy will use every tactic to work his way in and try to tear us down by whispering such thoughts and feelings in our ear. This is when it becomes vital to make the decision to place our identity in Christ over the insecurities of our worldly identity. Galatians 3:27-28 tells us, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” None of the superficial things we tend to worry about matter to God. None of it is meaningful to the purpose God has for us. We have been transformed into something greater! 

 Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” This verse alone is reassurance that we are enough. God created us in His image, so how can we not be enough? Sometimes it can be a daily challenge and something that requires a lot of work but fortunately, God’s mercies are new every day. The next time you look in the mirror, focus on your heart which is the perspective of the only opinion that really matters: our Creator’s, who fully knows and loves us no matter what. 

With love, 

Emma

Forward

If you’ve ever played or watched sports you know how important the final minutes of a game can be, especially if you root for any sports team in Georgia and you’ve been burned by a few comebacks in the postseason. The last out, the final snap, and the last leg of the race all signify the completion and ending of an event and ultimately determines who wins and who loses. Right now, we’re in the home stretch of social distancing and if you’re anything like me, you’re ready to move past everything that’s been going on these last few months and end the game.

So much has changed because of COVID-19. Elbow bumps have replaced handshakes. Picking up food curbside and talking to our professors over Zoom has become the thing to do. We pass more Amazon prime trucks more than we ever have before and walk around stores with over-washed and cracked hands admiring how cute someone’s homemade mask is. I can’t help but wonder how much of life will remain changed when all of this is over, but I do know that while our nation is on the verge of moving forward, we have the opportunity to move towards something greater.

As Paul said in Philippians 3:13, now is the perfect time to "forget what lies behind and strain forwards to what lies ahead." What better time and way for things to change in your life than now? In quarantine, I was forced to face a lot of myself and my struggles that I had previously chosen not to deal with. I spent a lot of time feeling convicted for things in my past, questioning why it’s so hard for me to get in the habit of reading and studying the Word, and fighting through lies that I’ve believed about myself and who God is. However, sitting before God with nothing but time on my hands made my relationship with Him grow to a new level, and while it wasn’t easy, it was necessary. With the social distancing coming to an end I now have the choice to carry with me what I learned during these past eight weeks or fall back into my old way of living when things get back to “normal.”

It would be easy to go back to the way things were. We could easily fill up our schedules, forget to spend time in the Word, and remain lukewarm and stagnant in our relationship with Him because it involves less work and change on us. But is that really what God wants? Whether you spent the last eight weeks at home or worked through the pandemic, God wants to move you forward and take you to new heights with Him, and we each have the choice to allow Him to do so.

In order to properly move forward, we have to first make the decision to leave our past behind and rest in God’s grace. What are you holding onto from your past that you need to let go of? Whether it’s sin, hurt, guilt, or a lie that’s been tearing you down, Jesus has already defeated it on the Cross and you don’t have to carry it with you any longer. I don’t know what you’ve been through, but I do know the One who died to set us free from the weight of our past, and He calls us to forget the things that once held us captive, weighed us down, and distracted us from Him and run the race set before us without looking back.

In these next few weeks as things begin to open back up and your life begins to return back the way it was, I encourage you to think about what you want to bring out of this experience. We’re living in a time that will be taught to future generations and be talked about for decades to come, and you have the opportunity now to make this a time in your life where you can look back and see how Jesus moved in your life and changed you for the better. The past can’t be changed, but the future can be whatever you want it to be.

As a final note, I believe that now is the perfect time to start something new. A little over a year ago I chose to attend a small group meeting for the first time by myself, and although it was scary at first, that one decision led me here writing to you. Now, that same small group, which is now a larger ministry, will be meeting for the first time in eight weeks on May 28th. If you’re 18-25 years old, I want to personally invite you to attend our first College Night back together. You are so welcome and wanted.

With love,

Miranda