You are not less.
You are not inadequate.
You are not insufficient.
You are not weak.
You are not empty.
You are not alone.

You are a child of God.
You are holy.
You are saved.

Learn to walk in this identity.

These are the truths on my heart today, the words I want to pull from my head and pour into you, the words that have guided my path for so many months, and changed everything about how I live.

Growing up, I always thought God saw me as less. Yes, I was His child, but that always felt insufficient. I knew He had saved me, I knew He had taken my sin upon His back, but I always thought I had some debt to owe back to Him, a debt I would never repay.

I think that’s how a lot of Christians see their faith—as if it’s a ladder to climb, a list with items to cross off that somehow never ends. There is this feeling of ‘not enoughness’—not enough for God, for people, for love, for happiness, for peace.

And it took me the longest time to discover that this is not the reality. This is not the life our Father wants us to live.

You see, in God’s eyes, we were already and always enough.

And that is not to say we are perfect (we know we’re not). That is not to say that our sins are brushed off (they are, instead, forgiven, which is a big difference.) That is not to say we are guilt-free (because we must take responsibility for what we’ve done and repent). And yet, we do not have to live with our pain weighing on our shoulders. Our Father has already carried all our burdens, bore them on the cross.

It’s not about shuffling around with our head down, our feet dragging behind us. It’s not about beating ourselves up for every little thing—past, present, and future. It’s not about trying to be more than we are, or thinking He will somehow love us less when we fall down.

He loved us then, He loves us now, He will love us forever. We have nothing to fear.

Our purpose on this earth is not to walk around in insufficiency, thinking we will never be worthy of what He’s already given us—we are His children—all His unending love and forgiveness we have already gained.

Instead of seeing yourself as a sinner first, see yourself in the way He made you. See your quirks, your flaws, your uniqueness . See the things you do that are so unlike the person by your side. See the way you have grown, and the way He has shaped you into the person you are. See all the ways you will still grow, still rise, even after you fall.

Walk in your identity—as a child of God, as a daughter, as a son, as a survivor. Walk in the love He pours out to you, the forgiveness He has given you, despite your mistakes.

Though you are not, and will never be perfect, there is nothing to be ashamed of. You are growing, you are healing, you are learning, you are loving, and you are striving to live in His ways.

Walk, no longer in the shadows, but in His light.
 

Featured Image Credit: Kyle Cottrell