Lost

Who am I? It was a question I battled for many years. Am I an athlete? Am I scholar? Am I dancer…ballet or hip hop?  Am I a swimmer, a soccer player, or a track runner? Do I like country, hip hop, pop, or alternative? Am I popular? Do I enjoy being and ‘outsider’…somebody different? Am I preppy, girly, hippie, or a tom-boy?

Confused yet? I sure was! Before I knew who I was in Christ, I kept trying to put myself in a category. I wanted to know where I fit in…I wanted to know what ‘home-base’ was for me? The most liberating day of my entire life (are you ready for this)…was NOT the day I accepted Christ into my heart. It was the day that I truly understood WHO that decision made me…I was a Christian. I was God’s daughter; I was made in HIS image. I was made to live for him in all things.

I no longer needed to be defined by what I did, said, or looked like. My exterior was not nearly as important as my interior. Mom, I want to encourage you—this is perhaps the most important thing that you can do for your child: help them understand WHO (not what) their identity is tied to. That alone, knowing they are a child of God, will arm the with the self-confidence they need to tackle a world that can be…well, mean at times.

When the bully picks on them. When they gain a little extra weight. When they don’t make the team. When they lose a friend. When they are not invited. When they don’t pass the test. When they have a bad day. The answer to their freedom has and will always be the same: JESUS! It doesn’t matter what anyone else says about them because what is true is what GOD says about them. If what other people say or do does not line up with God, then there is something wrong with that person, not them.

Mom, we have got to live this one out. We need to know where our identity lies before we can help our kids accept who they are. Are there things that you DO NOT like about yourself? Do your kids know about those things? How do you talk about yourself? Little ears are listening. They will pick up on whether we are finding our security in the Father or if we are looking for the approval of man.

Challenge:

Spend time with your kids today talking about who their heavenly Father is, and the fact that they are made in HIS image. Look for scriptures that talk about who we are as believers, and then share them with your children. Speak truth into their hearts. Let them know that they are not defined by what they do (or don’t do), but by who they are in HIM.

Challenge #2:

Model the above principle in your own life. Stop beating yourself up over who you are not, and start thanking God for who you are. Stop comparing yourself to other Moms. You are made in HIS image as well. J

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, you love us so very much. We stand in awe of who you are, and the fact that your Word declares that we are made in your image. Help us to find our identity and self-worth in you. May we shut out the voices of what others have told us, or even what we think of ourselves, and find the truth of who we are in your Word. Cleanse us, shape us, mold us so that we are more like you. Help us model your truths and share them with our children. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things that he planned for us long ago.”  Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

“How you made me is amazing and wonderful. I praise you for that. What you have done is wonderful. I know that very well.” Psalm 139:14 (NIrV)