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For years, I worked hard to become someone God could use.

I thought spiritual growth meant trying harder, praying more, reading more of the Bible each day, learning more, and driving myself to overcome my weaknesses one by one.

I knew Jesus had forgiven my sins.

I knew He loved me.

I knew I was going to heaven.

But if I’m honest, I still viewed myself through the lens of my failures, fears, and insecurities far more than through the finished work of Christ.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was living from the wrong identity.

When We Forget Who We Are

One of the things God has been showing me over the last several years is that many of our greatest struggles don’t begin with our circumstances.

They begin with our identity.

Think about it.

If I believe I’m inadequate, I’ll constantly strive to prove myself.

If I believe I’m rejected, I’ll spend my life searching for acceptance.

If I believe I’m a failure, every mistake becomes another reminder that I’ll never be enough.

The enemy doesn’t have to convince us to abandon Christ; he only has to convince us to forget who we are in Him.

Israel Forgot Who They Belonged To

As I’ve been studying Sabbath throughout Scripture, something has stood out to me.

When Israel entered the Promised Land, God intended it to be a place of blessing, peace, and rest.

But over and over again, they walked away from Him.

They pursued idols.

They trusted themselves instead of God.

They refused to obey His Word.

Through prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah, God repeatedly warned them that their stubbornness would eventually bring an end to the rest they were enjoying.

The land itself would experience its Sabbath while they lived in captivity.

Their rebellion brought a “shabbat” to the blessings God had intended for them.

Yet even then, God’s heart was never to abandon His people.

His plan was always restoration.

Even in judgment, He promised redemption.

That truth reminds me of the Gospel.

Because every one of us has wandered and believed the lies that the enemy has whispered in our ear about who he thinks we are.

Every one of us has needed to be restored.

Jesus Didn’t Just Forgive You

When we place our faith in Christ, something incredible happens.

God doesn’t simply forgive our sins.

He gives us a completely new identity.

Paul writes,

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

That’s more than a comforting verse.

It’s a declaration.

You are no longer defined by your past.

You’re no longer defined by your greatest failure.

You’re no longer defined by what someone said about you twenty years ago.

You are who God says you are.

The challenge is learning to believe it.

Renewing Our Minds

For years, I thought renewing my mind meant reading more of the Bible, and while Scripture is certainly the foundation, I’ve come to realize that renewing the mind is much deeper.

It’s learning to replace every lie with God’s truth.

One thought, decision, and verse at a time.

It’s allowing God’s Word to become the loudest voice in your life.

When I began intentionally filling my mind with Scriptures about my identity in Christ, something began to change.

Fear and anxiety began to lose their grip.

I found myself resting in God’s promises instead of constantly striving to earn His approval.

Obedience Looks Different When You Know Who You Are

This is something I wish every Christian woman understood.

God doesn’t ask us to obey Him so that He will love us.

He asks us to obey because He already does.

We don’t obey in order to become His daughters; we obey because we already are.

Knowing our identity changes the motivation behind everything.

Obedience becomes an act of love instead of an obligation.

Prayer becomes a conversation instead of a performance.

Bible study becomes a relationship instead of a routine.

Even Sabbath takes on a deeper meaning, because true rest isn’t simply found in stopping our work, it’s found in resting in the finished work of Christ.

This Is the Journey God Has Been Leading Me On

If you’ve been reading along over the past few years, you’ve probably noticed a common thread running through many of my articles.

• Anxiety.
• Renewing our minds.
• Replacing lies with truth.

And through every study, God kept bringing me back to one simple question:

Who am I believing that I am?

The more I’ve studied Scripture, the more convinced I’ve become that many Christian women don’t need another list of things to do.

We need to know who God says we already are.

Because everything changes from there.

You’re Invited

Beginning July 20, I’m inviting you to join me for a brand-new Identity in Christ Journey.

For fifteen weekdays, we’ll intentionally renew our minds with God’s Word.

Each day we’ll focus on one passage of Scripture and discover what it teaches about our identity in Christ.

Together we’ll:

• Write out the day’s Scripture.
• Discover what God says is true about us.
• Pray His Word back to Him.
• Learn to replace old lies with His truth.

There are two ways you can participate.

Join us in the Women Who Love Jesus Facebook Group

Join the Facebook Group here

Every weekday, I’ll post the daily Scripture and discussion prompt so we can encourage one another as we study.

You can get the printable Identity in Christ Workbook here on Etsy.

Join us on Substack

Paid members will also receive:

• The complete printable Identity in Christ Workbook
• Weekly live Bible teachings
• Friday Q&A sessions
• Access to the growing Resource Library

Whether you join us on Facebook or on Substack, my prayer is the same.

That over these fifteen days, you’ll begin to see yourself the way your Heavenly Father already sees you.

Because freedom doesn’t begin when our circumstances change.

Freedom begins when we finally believe what God says is true.

I’d love for you to walk this journey with me.

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P.S.

One of the things I love most about this community is that we don’t simply study God’s Word—we encourage one another to live it.

If you’ve ever struggled with fear, anxiety, shame, insecurity, or believing lies about yourself, I hope you’ll join us.

I have a feeling these fifteen days may become the beginning of something much bigger than a Bible study.

My prayer is that they’ll become the beginning of a renewed mind and a deeper confidence in Christ.