As we head to Ecuador and I reflect on my time at training camp, I am thankful for the ways I’ve grown. One of the main topics we have focused on is identity. We have been asked to reflect on what we have been telling ourselves about our identities.
I had been telling myself I’m not good enough, pretty enough, smart enough, people don’t like me, and I’m irrelevant. I realized when I was telling myself these things, they were lies and I was being negatively impacted.
God tells us we were created for great purpose. We are beautifully and wonderfully made. I was created in His image, and God does not make mistakes.
When I thought about the lies I believed about my identity, I also discovered I had been putting my identity in worldly things such as sports, my grades, my friends, acceptance from others, relationships, etc. I realized when all these things are stripped away, because at some point they will be, I would struggle to accept myself. By believing these things, I was forgetting to put God first.
When you put your identity solely in God and not worldly things, you can build your life on a Christ-centered foundation.
When you have Christ at the center and His love within, you then can go and spread His love and goodness.
When your identity is in Christ, it will be so evident to those around you that it will be contagious. Putting your identity in Christ and not worldly things or labels can change the way you serve on the mission field and even at home in day to day life.
– Grace Clevenger
