Embracing Who God Created You To BeShembull

Finding – and being – a safe space

If I was God, I may not have chosen the church to be my Plan A for reaching the world – and for caring for those within it too – because the church is made up of imperfect people who can hurt one another. And yet that is what He has done, and part of our identity is recognizing we are the people of God.

I am passionate about us being open and real with one another, and yet it needs to be done in an atmosphere of total trust. It can be hard to find those deep, safe friendships, but we can learn from Jesus’ own model. He had hundreds following Him, drew 12 disciples close – and three closer still. It was with those closest to Him that He confidently shared His most vulnerable moments, such as within the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:32–42).

We need people who we know are totally for us, who will call us out when we believe lies about ourselves rather than embracing the truth and who will support and pray for us when we share our difficulties and disappointments.

If you don’t feel you have such friends, can I gently urge you to start praying. As a tween, we moved and I was somewhat overwhelmed by twins of my own age who came running over, so excited, as they had no one else their age in the church and had been praying for a friend. One of them became a close friend during our teenage years.

Remember too, as we close this study, that part of embracing who God has made us to be is realizing it is not just all about us – he has called us to be part of a body, in which each individual member has its own role. This can go against the grain as we live in an individualistic society, but there are so many Bible verses about caring for one another that it is obviously high on God’s agenda. Delving into the Bible regularly also reminds us that we are part of God’s Big Story – not just our own. What a privilege! May you fully embrace the role that He has for you in it.

Reflect: Take some time to think about whether you feel you are embracing all that you sense God has for you right now. Are there any changes you need to make?

Claire Musters is an author, a writer and speaker with a real passion to see people reach their full potential in God. You can find more information about Claire’s book Taking off the Mask, as well as her blog at www.clairemusters.com.