One of the big challenges we face today is managing our expectations. What do we use as a gauge for a life well lived? Everything from the styling of our pantry to the trajectory of our portfolios feels like something we should care about and improve. It can feel like lack or failure defines us, and it can be hard to know what is true about ourselves.
Recently I pursued something big in my career, something I really wanted; and despite coming oh-so-close and making the first few cuts, ultimately I was turned down. In that moment of disappointment, I felt like the sum of all my past and future failures, and for a minute there I was very, very sad. But when I started calling myself names like “failure” and “loser,” it only took a moment for me to recognize that none of those things are what God calls me.
Though I was still disappointed with the rejection, recalling who I was in God’s eyes was enough to steady me. Then I remembered one of my favorite songs:
You say I am loved when I can’t feel a thing
You say I am strong when I think I am weak
And You say I am held when I am falling short
And when I don’t belong, oh You say I am Yours
And I believe
Oh, I believe
What You say of me
I believe1
And there you have it. Who does God say that I am? How does God measure me?
“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” (Romans 8:16).
God is telling me that I am His child, and that is what defines me. I’m already a winner. With Him I am enough. That I belong to God is the most true thing about me.
I have had to trace my identity back to Jesus so many times that I’m pretty good at it. The truth of God’s words has worn a groove in my soul, and I know how to pray this truth over my heart. And when I question it, I just dig a little deeper in the Bible. Every time God’s Word proves I am worthy because of His grace.
You, too, can find your identity in Jesus. You are defined by His love and grace. This doesn’t get you out of the highs and lows of life, but in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8:37).
- “You Say” by Lauren Daigle ↑