“It’s strange how people are capable of forgetting who they are” – Dave Ferguson

For it is when the Lord thinks well of us that we are really approved, and not when we think well of ourselves.”  2 Corinthians 10:18 (TEV)

We may think that the problem of insecurity can be kept to ourselves. However, it will undoubtedly cause turmoil in all areas of our lives. Whatever we fear will eventually control us. You will spend your time and effort trying to maintain appearances if you do not believe who the Lord says you are.

We do not have to live in fear of others opinions, unhealthy relationships, or wonder about our identity. The good news is that we do not have to fear the opinion of someone else or even our own insecurities.

Media mogul and former Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner grew up in a home with a father who was a manic-depressive and struggled with alcoholism. Turner’s dad was a stern disciplinarian who thought withholding affection would lead his son to work harder and ultimately succeed. Almost twenty years after his father committed suicide, Turner was giving a speech. Right in the middle of it, he stopped and pulled out a copy of Success Magazine with his picture on the cover. He looked toward the sky and whispered, “Is this enough for you, Dad?”

Some of you may still be trying to win your parents’ approval. You never could get it growing up. But, if your parents rejected you growing up, it wasn’t your problem; it was their problem. Parents who reject their children are actually rejecting God’s creations and telling God he made a mistake.

So it’s not your problem; it’s their problem. The truth is, if they haven’t accepted you by now, you probably won’t ever get it. But you don’t need their approval to be happy. Your happiness does not depend on other people. God clearly establishes our identity, and in the Bible He calls us valuable. When we understand that we are God’s sons and daughters, valuable and secure in Him, it allows to us live the rest of our lives in the freedom of this truth.

Prayer:

God, thank you for your gift of grace and adoption into your family. Allow me to see myself the way you see me as valuable and loved. Not because of what I do or don’t do but because of what you have done for me. Amen.

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Inspired by Identity