Living Free From the Weight of OffenseSample

A New Identity

I grew up longing for my father’s approval. When he chose alcohol and other relationships over us, the wound went deep. That rejection didn’t just hurt — it began to define me. Offense does that. It whispers false names: Unwanted. Unloved. Not enough.

But God’s Word tells a different story. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Cor. 5:17). Paul urges us to “take off your former way of life... and put on the new self, created to be like God” (Eph. 4:22–24).

This is the truth I’m still learning: I am not defined by my wounds but by His love. My new name is Beloved. Chosen. Secure.

You may not be able to change what happened to you. But you can refuse to let offense name you anymore. In Christ, you are new.

Reflection: What false labels has offense placed on you? Which truth from Scripture will you choose to put on today?