rebelling against low expectations

Your Value is Found in Christ Alone

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You are valuable.

This is something I had a hard time accepting. I thought other people had value, but when it came to believing it for myself, I struggled. As I grew older, I realized that other teens struggled with the same problem. Why do we allow ourselves to have such low self-esteem? For me it was because I did not realize my identity in Christ. I did not know who I was, or who my Heavenly Father is.

There is something truly special when we find our worth in the One who made the sun, moon and stars, the One who created the mountains and volcanoes, the One who paints every sunset, and the One who took care creating you, down to the little freckle on the side of your nose.

There came a time in my life where I encountered Jesus. I was at a Christ in Youth event with my youth group and the speaker said some things that really hit home. In that moment, I finally saw myself as a child of the King. This point changed my life. I now saw myself as loved, protected, forgiven, and chosen. I saw myself as a daughter, perhaps for the first time.

Maybe you are in the same place I was–afraid of stepping out of your comfort zone, afraid of failure, afraid you will never live up to the expectations you put on yourself. Maybe you find yourself in the same boat I was in, struggling from anxiety attacks every night for over a year, afraid to tell anybody how serious the situation was, because it was not what the ideal “perfect Christian” should struggle with.

I do not know where you are right now, but I want you to internalize this thought,

“You do not have to be everything, you were never nothing, because you are His.”

Ponder that. You do not have to be perfect. You do not have to live up to the crazy standard you have set for yourself. You have always been of value. You have always had worth, because you are a child of the King.

The book of Ephesians is full of wonderful incites written by the apostle Paul. These words come from the first chapter;

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will – to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.”

God, our Father, had chosen you for adoption before you had taken your first breath. Did you catch the part where it says “in accordance with his pleasure and will?” It is his pleasure to call you a child, to call you his prince or princess. He finds you worth dying for.

When you find your identity in Christ, you find your true worth. When you see yourself as a child of the King, you find confidence and motivation to keep fighting the good fight. You will have a source of strength to get you through everything life throws at you.

You are loved. You are cherished. You are His. Go live in such a way that when others see you, they see Him. They will see a child of the King.

When you have this mindset, doing hard things gets easier. Yes, there are still times when I get burnt out, but now I can call upon the Father to help me. I have seen Him do spectacular things such as take away my anxiety attacks completely. I have seen His power and it gives me confidence. I now know that I am loved and I hope you do, too.


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Photo courtesy of Chris Zerbes and Flickr Creative Commons.


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About the author

Katelyn Skrdlant

is a 17-year-old, homeschooled, farm girl who has a passion for youth ministry and global missions. She enjoys baking, reading, and eating cookie dough. Katelyn loves to hang out with friends and is very involved in the Student Leadership Team at her church. Check out her blog at: www.katelyngraceblog.weebly.com

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By Katelyn Skrdlant
rebelling against low expectations

The Rebelution is a teenage rebellion against low expectations—a worldwide campaign to reject apathy, embrace responsibility, and do hard things. Learn More →