Another Day by Anna

Another day, another battle.  Another day of trying, fighting to make everyone like us. We prepare ourselves, thinking long and hard, whether it’s about what to wear, how to do our makeup, what brand we’re wearing, what kind of phone we slip into our pocket, or how much money is in our wallet. 

We walk through our day, trying to show off our success.  And sometimes, we even act like and become a person who we truly are not.  We try to become like others, fitting in, but standing out.  We say things we usually wouldn’t say and act in a way that is far from our true self.  We look back on our day and worry about our mistakes.  We may feel like we’ve failed. 

If that is you, I get it, because that is often me.  But we don’t have to live this way.

Genesis 2:7

“…then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life…”

This verse displays such intimacy.  The perfect, all-powerful, all-knowing, self-sufficient, and holy King that rules over the whole universe breathed his very own breath into your lungs.  The Lord, God of all heaven and earth created you and brought you to life with his very own breath.  Now, doesn’t God love everything he created?  Of course, because he made it exactly how he wanted it. He not only displayed that love as he was creating you, but throughout your whole life.  He knew you would sin and rebel against his commandments, so he sent his only Son to die for you so that you may be saved

by faith alone
through grace alone
in Christ alone. 

Christ took on our sin and God called him guilty. 

We take Christ’s righteousness and God calls us innocent. 

2 Corinthians 5:21, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 

Christ was the sacrifice that satisfied God’s wrath.  And since he knows what is best, he made a plan for your life.  Because we don’t know what is best, he sent his Spirit to guide us down the path God planned for us.  Not only that, but when we fail, Christ takes our brokenness and makes it beautiful.  He takes our life, shatters it, and puts it together in a more beautiful way than ever (“Kisses from Katie” by Katie Davis). Now here is the most incredible piece: To those who believe with their hearts in Christ Jesus and cherish the gospel above all else, God has already given his approval.

If that isn’t true love, then what is? 

So, why do we fight for approval from people?  Why do we sacrifice being the person God created us to be so that we can fit in and be liked? Why do we search for our identity in being liked when we are already loved by the only one who matters—God.

So now, stop looking for your identity in people’s approval.  It is bondage, and people, they will always fail you.  But if you look to Christ for approval and if Christ’s approval of you becomes your identity, you will never be let down.  Unlike people, he loves you in your mess.  You don’t have to be successful for him to love you.  You don’t have to be beautiful or handsome to have his approval.  Christ doesn’t care if you fit the image that all those around you strive to have.  You don’t have to pretend you have your life all together because he already knows that you don’t and loves you still.  You don’t have to know all the answers, because that’s God’s job and is something that, as humans, we have to trust him with.  Finally, it is okay, and actually expected, to be rejected by the world because you are accepted and loved by the King of the universe.

Another day, another battle, but this time, it is for Jesus.  We prepare ourselves through his Word and in prayer.  We journey through our day, fighting against sin and our temptation to give in, and become a people pleaser again.  We wage war on our sinful hearts and ask Jesus to give us strength and assurance.  Instead of trying to be the “best version of me”, we try to be the best imitator of Christ.  We try to live in a way that glorifies Christ, but it is hard and we look so different than everyone else.  So, we ask Christ to intervene and give us the endurance to push on and trust in him and his plan in this. Sometimes we feel as though we are walking blindly, but fortunately the one who is guiding us has perfect vision.  We start to feel rejected, but then we preach to our self the great love with which he has for us.  And that love will carry us through.

Hebrews 13:5 says

“‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’  So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me.’”

Let your confidence be found in Christ,
let your identity rest in Him, and
look to Jesus to find your strength in the battle.

#jesusineverything, Especially School.

Guest Author Bio: My name is Anna, I am 14 and have a heart for ministry and people. I have two younger siblings. I enjoy running, band, playing the piano, and singing.

(Featured Photo Credit: Sean Kong)