I decided to believe in God at a young age and after that my life quickly became about controlling the way that people saw me. My father was a minister, and it felt like all eyes were on me. I wanted my parents to be proud of me, and everyone to like me and think I was a good person. My need for acceptance made me look to my church, my family, and my friends for fulfillment. I lived my life to please everyone around me and put little focus on my relationship with God. As a matter of fact, I used my relationship with God to manipulate how people viewed me. It was like wearing a pretty mask, and never letting anyone see the real me, and it worked for a while. Until my junior year of high school, I was able to successfully maintain my image as the “good Christian girl.” That year, a man in my church made some claims about my father that were untrue to further his career. The people in the church were passive and did nothing to help combat the lies that were told about my father. I had absolutely no control over the situation, and no control of the emotions I felt. This caused people to see the real me. The part of me that didn’t know how to give God control, or trust Him with my life. These were all the parts that I had neglected because I was too busy worrying about my reputation. The perfect version of myself that I had maintained for so long was now broken and in desperate need of help from the only one who could give it; Jesus Christ. I realized through this situation that true fulfillment and acceptance comes only from Jesus Christ. God had to strip me of everything that I had built up for my image so that I could see who I really was and how much I needed a Savior. I still struggle with acceptance, and looking to other people to meet that craving in my life, but they will never be able to. Now that I have tasted and seen the truth that my identity is found in God, I don’t have to worry about what other people think. I just have to believe that I am who God says I am, and God says that I am a new creation. 

Question Part Points Submissions Used          

I decided to believe in God at a young age and after that my life quickly became about controlling the way that people saw me. My father was a minister, and it felt like all eyes were on me. I wanted my parents to be proud of me, and everyone to like me and think I was a good person. My need for acceptance made me look to my church, my family, and my friends for fulfillment. I lived my life to please everyone around me and put little focus on my relationship with God. As a matter of fact, I used my relationship with God to manipulate how people viewed me. It was like wearing a pretty mask, and never letting anyone see the real me, and it worked for a while. Until my junior year of high school, I was able to successfully maintain my image as the “good Christian girl.” That year, a man in my church made some claims about my father that were untrue to further his career. The people in the church were passive and did nothing to help combat the lies that were told about my father. I had absolutely no control over the situation, and no control of the emotions I felt. This caused people to see the real me. The part of me that didn’t know how to give God control, or trust Him with my life. These were all the parts that I had neglected because I was too busy worrying about my reputation. The perfect version of myself that I had maintained for so long was now broken and in desperate need of help from the only one who could give it; Jesus Christ. I realized through this situation that true fulfillment and acceptance comes only from Jesus Christ. God had to strip me of everything that I had built up for my image so that I could see who I really was and how much I needed a Savior. I still struggle with acceptance, and looking to other people to meet that craving in my life, but they will never be able to. Now that I have tasted and seen the truth that my identity is found in God, I don’t have to worry about what other people think. I just have to believe that I am who God says I am, and God says that I am a new creaI decided to believe in God at a young age and after that my life quickly became about controlling the way that people saw me. My father was a minister, and it felt like all eyes were on me. I wanted my parents to be proud of me, and everyone to like me and think I was a good person. My need for acceptance made me look to my church, my family, and my friends for fulfillment. I lived my life to please everyone around me and put little focus on my relationship with God. As a matter of fact, I used my relationship with God to manipulate how people viewed me. It was like wearing a pretty mask, and never letting anyone see the real me, and it worked for a while. Until my junior year of high school, I was able to successfully maintain my image as the “good Christian girl.” That year, a man in my church made some claims about my father that were untrue to further his career. The people in the church were passive and did nothing to help combat the lies that were told about my father. I had absolutely no control over the situation, and no control of the emotions I felt. This caused people to see the real me. The part of me that didn’t know how to give God control, or trust Him with my life. These were all the parts that I had neglected because I was too busy worrying about my reputation. The perfect version of myself that I had maintained for so long was now broken and in desperate need of help from the only one who could give it; Jesus Christ. I realized through this situation that true fulfillment and acceptance comes only from Jesus Christ. God had to strip me of everything that I had built up for my image so that I could see who I really was and how much I needed a Savior. I still struggle with acceptance, and looking to other people to meet that craving in my life, but they will never be able to. Now that I have tasted and seen the truth that my identity is found in God, I don’t have to worry about what other people think. I just have to believe that I am who God says I am, and God says that I am a new creation.