Embracing Your True Self: Living in Your Christ-Centered Identity With Jennifer SlatteryNäide

You are accepted.

It took thirty years of holidays and get togethers before Jan believed her husband’s family accepted her. For three decades, they reached out with kind inclusion, while she remained guarded. One could write a book discussing why, but in short, she grew up as the “the throw away kid” who developed a deep distrust for relationships.

While much of her childhood is a blur, she first remembers feeling discarded and abandoned at age 12. Her parents suffered from significant mental illness and frequently found themselves overwhelmed and unable to care for Jan like she needed. One day, amid being shuffled from one place to another, she called her mom, asking to come home. Externally, Jan remained composed, even cheerful, but inside, she was begging for acceptance. She left that conversation with intense shame and feeling like she needed to reach some vague standard to reunite with her family.

Jesus never treats us this way. He accepts us as we are while lovingly leading us to become our best selves. It’s in the safety of His acceptance that we find the freedom to heal and grow.

Prayer prompts:

How often do you feel like others will reject you if you don’t behave a certain way? Pause to reflect on the fact that you’re completely accepted by God in Christ. How does this truth hit you? What wounds from your past might He want to heal so you can see yourself as His accepted and cherished child?