Troubles Can Inspire

One of the biggest issues I struggled with in middle school was the overwhelming pressure to find an identity. Most of my friends had their “things‗hobbies, talents, or interests that seemed to define them as a person. I had a few interests and practiced several activities, but I thought that because I hadn’t locked into one skill and perfected it, I was missing out. As it turned out, I had been consuming lies about my identity that I hadn’t even been aware of.

During my first year of high school, I went to a Christian summer camp. This experience is one of the most valuable of my life, not just because I had fun, but because I redefined what identity meant for me as a Christian. As I listened during our chapel gatherings, this caught my attention: If your hope and confidence are based on achievement, then when you fail, your feeling of significance—and your happiness—will crumble.

If you remember anything when you feel lost, remember this: You are not an athlete, an artist, an academic, or any other temporary label. These may be things you do, but they are not who you are. According to the Bible, you are a child of God. You do not have to perform for God’s love and affirmation. You already have it. You don’t have to be afraid of failure. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you are already forgiven and faultless in God’s sight. Through Jesus, God has already made you victorious. And you are part of His people, the church—you never have to earn a place in God’s family!

Don’t listen to identity lies. Because you are a child of God, I know that you have God-given talents. They may not be something physical, like painting or playing sports; they may be gifts of encouragement, compassion, patience, or the ability to make others feel accepted. Whatever your talents are, you can be free to embrace them joyfully, without being weighed down by the pressure to perform. If you know Jesus, your identity is secure in Him—and nobody can shake that. Talents may come and go throughout your life, but Jesus’s unconditional love will last forever. • Sophia Grogg

• Do you feel the need to become better than others at particular hobbies or activities, even if they aren’t competitive skills? God invites us to talk to Him about these pressures.

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! 1 John 3:1a (NLT)

Read Verses:

2Cor.1.3-2Cor.1.7