Redefining Yourself with God

Scripture: 1 John 1:5-10

Key Verse: 1 John 1:7

In a society that prides itself on visible success, it can be easy to compare yourself to others. It can make you feel like nothing you do is ever good enough. Every where you look someone seems to have more or look better, and we often try to rush our way to achieving those same results. The awful part is that we often try to do it without God. One of the first ways that we can overcome our insecurities is by redefining ourselves with God.

We must understand that God is the only example that we will ever have of true perfection (v.5). So, we must look to Him when we are trying to find something to compare ourselves too and mold our lives after, and it is easier to look to Him when we intentionally build a relationship with Him. That relationship may look different for you compared to the pastor of your church. The important thing is that you try to have a relationship with someone who has no insecurities.

As we are forming that relationship, we cannot live a double life (v.6). Most people go to the extreme and think that a sinful life only involves going out to parties or engaging in premarital sex, but it can also include using profanity and holding grudges. We can’t say that we truly have a relationship with God if we are still partaking in these actions, which unfortunately means that we can’t fully address our insecurities. Moreover, having a relationship does not just exist in the bubble of just saying that you are saved. How would you feel if someone said they were your friend, but every action they ever displayed, from never speaking to you or inviting you to hang out, said otherwise? It would hurt, and it would probably cause more insecurities to form within us. While God does not have insecurities, He deserves the same level of respect that we expect in our earthly relationships and more. By cultivating this relationship, we allow Him in to work out our insecurities.

Have you ever stopped to write down your insecurities? Does anything on that list involve your relationship with God? When I wrote out my list, disappointing God was not on there. But what I came to realize is that it should have been at the top. Having a better relationship with God could fix everything on my list, most of which involve my appearance and the way others think about me. (We will dive deeper into those things in this series.) The moment that I decided that I wanted to walk with God who is the light, I gave Him permission to purify me from my sins and negative thoughts about myself (v.7) None of us can say that those feelings don’t exist because then we would be lying because again God is the only perfect being, and the only way that God can save us from our insecurities is to openly admit that they exist (v.8-9). I am not saying that you must publicize your flaws on the internet or in a crowded room, but you must make it known to God that this is an area of your life you want Him to fix. Admitting that you are only human or saying that you make mistakes is not the same as getting into the specifics of the areas that you want God to fill. Understand that God’s grace and mercy only extends to sinners, so you must be ok with admitting that you will have flaws. He will not hold our past against us, so we have nothing to be ashamed or afraid of.

Your relationship with God cannot just be a label, but it must be a lifestyle. However, confession is a good first step in redefining your relationship with Him because you then put yourself in agreement with God that you need help. God is the only true example of perfection, so, when you get close to Him, He can work on all of the insecurities.

Prayer: Lord thank you for wanting a relationship with me, so that I can redefine myself with you. Thank you for not making me go through this part of my life alone. Please allow me to see you as my standard, and, while I am there, allow me to open up to you about where I am lacking. Lord I need you and I can’t do this without you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.