“Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we should be and embracing who we are.”
–Brené Brown
(Cover image by Michelle Wingard)
Identity (noun):
a) sameness of essential or generic character in different instances (Merriam-Webster)
b) the fact of being who or what a person or thing is (Oxford)
c) a close similarity or affinity (Oxford)
Discovering who I am after college
This year I challenged myself to be more courageous in a post I wrote in January. During college, I felt so pressured to have it all together. Be the perfect leader, the perfect girlfriend, or even the perfect student. Most of that pressure to be perfect didn’t come from one person, but from myself. I was anxious, scared to fail, and unfocused on who God created me to be.
Maybe you’ve done the same. Maybe you too feel pressured to fit inside a tiny box of some label or mix-matched identity. I’d like you to open the box, let yourself breathe, and discover who you really are and who God really is too.
As a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ, I am set free and no longer in the chains of shame. I am slowly learning who God says I am according to the Bible, and it is so healing to my soul. I feel more courageous, empowered, and loved!
Where do you root your identity?
Sometimes we can root our identity in our jobs, our relationship status, or leadership positions. It’s okay to say “I’m single,” but it’s dangerous to say “my worth is less or more because I am single.” Does that make sense? We can place our self-worth based on what we do instead of who we are. However, what we root our identity in matters and should be fundamental to who we are and who we were created to be.
I root my identity in who God says I am because He is the one who created me. He says I am loved (Romans 8:38-39), a co-heir to Christ (Romans 8:17), and saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:3-5). Anyone who believes that Jesus is God’s son, who died to save us and bridge the gap between us and God, can also share in this identity too!
Letting go of the lies and holding onto the Truth
The lie that you are too broken or too ugly for God is just that: a lie. The Enemy wants you to believe that you have to live in shame because you messed up. But the Bible says there is nothing new under the sun to God. Jesus also says “come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). God wants a relationship with you. He wants to restore you, empower you, and love you.
We are not failures.
We are not losers, dumb, or ugly.
We are saved, cherished, and victorious!
Whatever lies the enemy has bound you with, please let the Lord break each one starting today.
Moving forward + Looking up
This summer I have some fun things going on for The Honest Pursuit!
Firstly, my sweet blog turns ONE on May 26th!! It’s technically a little older than that, but it’s been published on the internet since May 26th. So to celebrate, I am teaming up with my super talented friend, Sarah Johnson, and we will be hosting a GIVEAWAY next week! Make sure you’re following the blog by subscribing, or check out and follow our Instagram and Facebook pages. I will be sharing more details about that next week!
Secondly, this month we are kicking off our new summer collaboration initiative, The Open Letter Collective!! Check out this post for more details. If you would like to send in an Open Letter, you can email us at thehonestpursuit@gmail.com or visit our Contact page and send it there. I am so excited to bring our community together, share our stories, and use our words to encourage each other!
Lastly, my personal writings and blog posts this summer will be focused on the topic of identity. This has been on my heart for a while, and I really want to take time to unpack who God says I am and who God is according to the Bible. I will be sharing resources, my insights, quizzes, and more so you can join this journey with me!
Thank you for sticking around and reading this post today! I know it was a long one, but I have so much to tell y’all! I’m so thankful for you, and I can’t wait to see where God takes us this summer!
What do you think about today’s post?
Any plans this summer?! Comment below! Love you guys!
Petit à Petit,
Additional Resources:
The Honest Pursuit 
Thanks for writing this post. It is so easy to tie our identity to what we do or who we are in terms of our relationship status. We really must root our identity in Christ as in the end, that’s all that really matters.
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Apologies for the typos.
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One more thing I would like to add is the Jesus and God for that matter love us unconditionally. Because we are created in his image it’s up to us as the body of Christ to love and respect each other unconditionally. God’s plan for me is to preach the gospel and share my testimony of renewing my relationship with Christ Jesus. Lastly, we all have fallen and will fall short of God’s grace. However, we have been redeemed of the curse. Therefore, we must not walk around with our heads down in shame or sorrow because are free. Thanks to God.
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I am going to be enrolling in bible college online sometime during the summer or even the fall.
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