Faith Over FeelingsSample

There is something incredible about that verse—something we cannot afford to overlook! God didn’t wait until we cleaned ourselves up. He did not wait until we believed perfectly, acted right, or looked the part. He loved us while we were still sinners. That is the starting point of our identity! Not what we do, not what we bring to the table—but what Jesus already did for us.

Still, even though we have been given this new identity in Christ, it can be so easy to look for something extra to feel like we are enough. Without even realizing it, we start living as if we need Christ plus something else to be okay. For me, at one point, it was Christ plus mascara. Sounds silly, maybe, but I felt more confident—more “me”—with it. But for others, it might be Christ plus a boyfriend. Christ plus popularity. Christ plus performance. Christ plus good grades, good hair, or being the one everyone looks up to. None of those things is bad on their own, but when they become essential to our identity, they become idols.

Our hearts were made to be devoted—but if we are not careful, they will become devoted to the wrong things. The enemy is subtle. He will convince us that we can still love Jesus while also chasing the world’s approval. But that is not how devotion works. Living by Satan’s rules means constantly striving, constantly comparing, constantly coming up short. It places us under the weight of a standard we were never meant to carry. And slowly, we shift from being led by Christ to being controlled by our own desires.

Understanding who we are in Christ is huge—but it is not the whole story! We also have to believe that Christ is trustworthy with our identity. And belief, biblically speaking, is never passive. It is not just nodding in agreement. It is surrender. It is movement. It is choosing, again and again, to live like what Jesus says about you is actually true.

Belief in Scripture involves our whole being. It starts in our heads—we need to know what God says and who Jesus is. But it cannot stop there! It has to move to our hands—how we live, serve, and follow Him in obedience. And most importantly, it has to reach our hearts—where we choose to trust Him with our lives, even when we don’t fully understand the outcome.

God did not just die for the cleaned-up version of you. He died for the real you! And He’s not asking for performance—He is asking for belief. Not just belief that He exists, but belief that He is good, that He is enough, and that your identity is secure in Him—no mascara, no boyfriend, no “plus” needed.

Reflection Question: What is your “Christ-plus” equation? What are you tempted to add to Jesus in order to feel worthy or secure—and how can you let go of that and believe Him fully today?