Identity Theft

Life was dramatic when I was a kid - in part due to my personality, and in part due to my circumstances. I faced a lot of difficult situations when it came to friends (and enemies, for that matter). As a result, I become intensely insecure and a little obsessed with getting people to like me. "People pleaser" doesn't begin to describe the lengths to which I would often go to feel accepted.

At 27 I traveled across the world to Israel and finally saw clearly how far I was from being freed from my thirst for acceptance. And it was there that the truth of my freedom in Christ became a reality and started transforming my heart and mind. It is a process that is continuing today as I seek to honor Christ rather than please my peers.

I don't know where you're at when it comes to issues like this, but I hope that you have felt at least a taste of the freedom Jesus offers. For a girl who faced a lot of rejection and hurt it is a pretty amazing thing to understand the acceptance and love and security available to me in Him.

And it is pretty awesome to have enough confidence to be who I am without shame or fear of rejection. Its not that people don't reject me anymore - its just that I've decided as long as I am being true to who I am and faithful to my Savior, I don't really care either way.

I shouldn't say that. It doesn't feel good to know that you've been rejected, but I've finally come to a place where I refuse to allow that to change how I act or who I am.

I love Jesus. I love Him more than anything else in this world. I am convinced that His love for me is deeper and wider and higher and stronger than any love we could conceive of. I believe that He made me the way I am for a reason, and that He loves seeing me throw off the shackles of approval and run unashamedly after Him and His purpose in my life.

Do you think I speak this strongly in order to manipulate crowds? Or curry favor with God? Or get popular applause? If my goal was popularity, I wouldn't bother being Christ's slave. Know this—I am most emphatic here, friends—this great Message I delivered to you is not mere human optimism. I didn't receive it through the traditions, and I wasn't taught it in some school. I got it straight from God, received the Message directly from Jesus Christ. Galatians 1:10-11