Do we often find ourselves wondering, “Who am I, really?” Maybe we have begun to notice that we have been swept away by the strong current of people’s opinions, judgments, wants, and desires. As we look back at all that lies behind us, we suddenly realize we have been pulled way off shore. We find ourselves struggling against the tide of negative emotions. Who we once were has veered far off into murky waters, slowly drowning in regrets as deep as the sea.

Have we come to the point where we have allowed others to steal our joy and wreck all of our dreams?

Maybe we have listened too long to these criterial voices that have told us we were never enough to be whatever we wanted to be, when all we ever wanted was to be accepted for who we were, to be someone to adore, but the inner voices kept saying we were incapable of being somebody that was worthy of more.

The rejection along the way was way too painful, and the impact it had on our lives left us feeling completely incapable. We have mistakenly thought that if we could be what everyone else expected us to be, they would finally approve of us, and then we would finally stop feeling worthless and ashamed. It’s time we stop tolerating emotionally abusive relationships that only keep us believing we have to be afraid.

The worthlessness, guilt, shame, and condemnation only led us into a life of low self-esteem. There was simply no confidence to do what we were truly created for … there was no meaning in our lifelessness. We were poisoned by our own bitterness. We couldn’t erase the hurt and the pain from the beliefs that were surrounding our every thought and every move we made. It wasn’t until we were so sick and tired that we became desperate for the truth… the truth that could undo all of the sorrow and heal the rawness of our pain.

Just how broken have we seen ourselves through the tainted perspectives, the ridicule and blame?

How is it that we allowed these people to choose our ways, rather than believing in the truth? We were made as chosen people, we belong to God and should declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness.

So, let’s stop the lies from defining us, and start believing we are worthy of love from the King of all Kings. For it is God who bestows us with every-single-solitary-blessed thing.

Precious Ones, it is not our fault that our hearts were deeply wounded by rejection and kept us from being who we wanted to be. We were completely lost amongst the pain of not being accepted, and chose to forego our dreams … but it is now Jesus we are to look up to. It was He who suffered and died to give us life, to give us hope, and to care for all of our needs.

We are not chosen by people … our identity starts with what only God thinks.

We are precious, and priceless. We are valued not because of who we are, but because of who He is. We are treasured possessions … children of the Almighty. He chose to love us even when we didn’t love Him. His love is unfailing, unending … and everlasting above everything.

There is nothing we can ever do that needs to be hidden away with shame. There isn’t anything that we can ever do that isn’t deserving of His mercy and grace. He cures the brokenhearted and mends all of our wounds. He is always waiting for us to open the windows to our hearts, and to nourish our souls until love fully blooms.

Although we may never have truly lived for our own lives before, we are always given a second chance to begin again, and finally made right with our Lord and Savior, our King. We realize that our jaded souls were never part of the overall plan, but in great loss, to live for Christ is always gain.

It is only when we admit we are lost without Him that we can be saved from our crushed spirit, and mortal sins. We finally come before Him, and are forgiven for all the mess and chaos that led our lives into a complete tailspin. In this moment we know that in spite of who we were, it is He who has loved us all along. We are finally cleansed from our sins and can begin to live again.

We are no longer living in the past or blaming others. We are no longer wounded from what people have done to us, what our parents have told us, and the gloomy predictions of the universe, not what our friends have expected from us, or how our enemies may have treated us, not even the lies that stole from us.

We become fully aware there is no greater love than The One who gives strength to conquer whatever life may throw us. We graciously accept there is no greater love than The One who sets us free and brings us wholeness.

So the next time we ask ourselves, “Who am I?” Or the next time we want to see ourselves for who we truly are, it has already been written. We are fearfully and wonderfully made, we are precious children of the Most High God.

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