We do not often hear from this world that we are secure, accepted, or significant. I began the unveil study in a deep struggle with my identity. I knew that God thought more of me than I thought of myself, but as far as what that was, I was at a loss. My entire life I had thought of myself as nothing more or less than what the world thought of me. If I got an A on a test I was smart. If I had a boyfriend I was pretty. If I went to Bible study I was a “good Christian.” God used the unveil study to show me that not only was my thinking misguided, it was altogether wrong. I am an intelligent, beautiful, SAINT not because of what I have done but because of who Jesus is and what he has done for me!
Those words–secure, accepted and significant–describe desires that reside deep in my heart. I realized that I had spent a great deal of my life striving for those three things, and I had found them and did not even know it. After learning more about my identity through this chapter, I spent some time going through the verses described and reading them in context in my Bible. The Scripture really came alive to me during that time. My view of myself changed to look a little more like Christ’s view, and it was freeing.
I also discovered that my identity struggle is not something I can learn about and check off on my “to do” list as being completed. I have to surrender my misguided view of myself to the Lord every day. I review His word and reprogram my thoughts to be more like His all the time. I have discovered the more I do this the more freedom I experience to be the woman God mad e me to be to love myself and love others more completely.
— Nikki