One Of A KindSample

It’s day one of being back home from your retreat. You’ve had a nap (or 3), you’ve unpacked your bags (or just thrown your stuff around your room, no judgment), and you’re ready to jump back into family, friends, and your real life. But you don’t want to forget the things you’ve learned during your retreat. Or maybe you aren’t starting to forget, but everything that’s happening around you, the good stuff and the bad stuff, is drowning out all the things that you’ve learned. What felt real and solid during the retreat may start to feel like it doesn’t have a place back home.   

Sometimes it can feel easier to be the person you know you are supposed to be when you’re completely away from everything and everyone. And when you’re back in the real world…you may have a hard time remembering just who you are.  Things like school, sports, after-school jobs can all try to make you feel like you have to act a certain way, or even that you need to be a certain kind of person. And while these things might be an important part of who you are, they aren’t the MOST important thing about you. When so many people are trying to tell you who THEY think you are, it can be hard to remind ourselves that God has already given us the answer.  And it’s actually a pretty simple one. You are a child of God. 

And while that’s a simple answer, it kind of means everything. When we read 1 John 3:1 (NLT), we see it spelled out for us. God loves us, and He calls us His children. It doesn’t say “when you do what you’re supposed to” or “when you’re perfect”. It simply says that God loves you, He KNOWS you, and He calls you His own child. No matter what. The people of this world may try to tell you who you are, but trust that you know the real truth. You know who you are. You know your identity, because the God who created everything, created you. Just the way you are. And He loves you, just the way you are. He loves you, and you are His child. You are, and always will be, a child of God. 

Take some time today to write out either the scripture (1 John 3:1 NLT) or the phrase “I am a child of God.” Maybe it’s a note that you write on your phone that you read each morning, or writing it on a mirror that you pass by multiple times a day. Whatever you do, be sure to read these words every day. When the world tries to tell you who you are, remember that God knows who you are. You are His. You are His child.