What if all our self-made identities were stripped away? Would we still be enough? Down with pneumonia I felt absolutely worthless for two weeks. I couldn’t cook, parent my kids, write, teach, or even plan a birthday party for my 5 year old. I was just Andrea with nothing to be proud of, feeling weak and useless. Then, in the middle of my misery, it hit me; if every identity I’d created was wiped away, would God still love me?
Of course in my head I knew the answer. Scripture tells us that we are beloved children of God, redeemed by Christ as a free gift. But sometimes my heart wants to earn love. I think to myself if I’m a good enough writer, mother, wife, or teacher, I will deserve God’s love and can feel good about accepting it.
But that’s the opposite of the gospel.
We can cling to this truth when we are afraid we’re not enough.
And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Mark 1:11 ESV
The reason we have nothing to prove and can stand secure in God’s love when we have absolutely nothing to give is evident in today’s verse. Our Dad in heaven is completely, 100%, pleased with Jesus, and we are tucked in Him. So we have nothing to prove. He is our identity. And He’s always enough so we can quit trying to be.
When we mess up, His perfection covers us. When we are weak, Jesus’s strength abounds. When we have nothing to give, His sacrifice on the cross prevails. God is well pleased with us because we have faith in His Son, not because we are innately awesome.
God is well pleased with us because we have faith in His Son, not because we are innately awesome.
In a culture that beckons us to make a splash and find our worth in what we do, let’s be confident that our identity is solely based on our faith in Christ. The Father is well pleased with Jesus, and sees nothing but good when He looks on us through the light of Christ. No more striving, no more comparing, just resting confidently that we are enough because of Jesus.
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Andrea Chatelain’s mission is to meet women in their struggles and love them forward with God’s truth. She’s a Midwest mom of three, faith and family writer, and college English instructor to immigrants and refugees. She believes Jesus transforms lives when His people boldly seek Him. Her writing reflects her love for Jesus and heart for fellow believers.
Find Andrea also at WhollyLoved Ministries and her devotionals with WL on YouVersion Bible App and Crosswalk
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Andrea Chatelain 