There was a time when I believed I was too flawed and too sinful to be loved and healed by Jesus.

I grew up with a very broken concept of fatherhood, love, and relationship. As I result, throughout my teenage years I hungered for male attention and love. I sought to satisfy that hunger through sexual promiscuity. It came to a breaking point when I was seventeen years old and assaulted by two boys who I thought were my friends.

For several years after I clung to the idea that my story would always be full of shame and full of sin. I thought that I would always be marked by my woundedness. I bought into the lie that this was my identity.

Thankfully, only God has the authority to tell us who we really are. God says all the hairs on our heads are counted. He says we are worth more than many sparrows. He says we are loved and we are His (see Matthew 10:29-31).

We do not have to be afraid that we are too wounded, or too impatient, or too whatever to be loved by the Lord. Relationship with Jesus is for all of us. He wants us to work with Him for the glory of the Kingdom, and we do not have to be afraid to proclaim this truth from the housetops.

We do not have to be afraid that we are not worthy to speak His name and share all He has done in our lives. We do not have to be afraid of our stories.

Each of our stories will have suffering and brokenness, but the things that we have done, and the things that have been done to us do not define who we are.

You belong to Jesus, and He speaks your name before the Father. Be not afraid.

[bctt tweet="Thankfully, only God has the authority to tell us who we really are. // Leana Bowler" username="blessedisshe__"]

Lord Jesus, draw us close to You in our wounds and heal us with Your loving touch.