Just Be You

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come; the old has gone, the new is here!”

Advertisements are everywhere. TV commercials, ads on our smartphones, billboard signs lining the highway. We are constantly receiving messages regarding what, and/or who, this world tells us we should be. At some point or another, we all succumb to the pressure of trying to fit into the standards that have become set by society in order to be considered “successful”. A certain weight we must attain, brand of clothing we’re supposed to wear, car we should drive. It exhausts me just thinking about it all.

Anyone that knew me growing up knows I was successful at most things I tried, especially if there was a ball involved. I was always at the top of my class academically as well. Though my athletic and academic success provided countless opportunities, most significantly a full-ride scholarship to college, it didn’t come without a price. Although I didn’t fully grasp this until the last couple of years, I’ve struggled with pride for most of my life. I know my brain and athletic ability are both wonderful gifts from God. However, for many years, I was blissfully unaware of the enemy’s presence in the drivers seat, using these gifts to push me into a space of striving. I fell into the trap of believing my identity and worth was defined by my achievements: how many points I scored in a game, what awards I won or what grade I got on a test.

As an adult in my 30s I can look back now and see how much time I spent trying to live up to the perceived expectations of those around me and, worst of all, to the pressure I put on myself. I know I’m not alone in this. Parents, siblings, bosses, friends. Most people in our lives are well intentioned towards us, precisely why I choose to bold the word perceived. Many times it’s not about our words or actions, rather how those words and actions are perceived by those we love.

The question becomes how do we learn to love ourselves, recognize our unique gifts and pursue our dreams while keeping our identity rooted in Christ? For me it was about learning the heart of God, His goodness, grace and love. His love is not based upon my efforts or achievements; it’s simply placed upon me as a gift Christ died for me to receive. Although God’s love for me is too great to fully understand, I have begun to learn how to live from a space of knowing and accepting His perfect love for me, regardless of my successes or failures. And from that space, I have found the freedom to “just be me”.

Instead of rooting our identity in achievement or material things, we are called to remember that each of us is a child of God. A uniquely created being with God given gifts, set apart for a specific purpose. I think it’s pretty cool that there are billions of people alive on this Earth, yet we each have a fingerprint that’s unique to only us. Even identical twins that are genetically 99.9% the same have different fingerprints. For me, that’s a reminder of how great a God we serve.

Celebrate achievements while acknowledging God as the source of our success. Put effort into mastering our craft, while always giving thanks to God for our gifts. Be someone who always points others back to Christ, especially in the face of inevitable failure. Read scripture. Pray daily. Encourage one another. Remind yourself and others, you are a child of God. The old has gone, the new has come. Embrace God’s perfect love and be the you Christ died to save.