What The World Says About Me vs. What God Says About Me

Did you know that I recently released a devotional called “For My Single Friend”? If not, and you’re single, then this resource is for you, friend!

I once read a quote that said, “Write the book that you needed when you were younger,” and that’s exactly what this devotional is.

It’s for my single friend who is struggling with a season of waiting, who’s worried that God has forgotten them, and who is wondering what the Bible says about the ups and downs of being single.

This is a 30-day devotional inspired by so many of the things I learned when I was single (or wished I had learned). I share helpful advice I was given by people close to me and advice I would go back and tell my single self if I could. And it’s all rooted in God’s Word in hopes of helping you strengthen your relationship with Jesus during your time being single.

If you haven’t already grabbed your copy, you can do that right now by clicking this link!

Or, if you need a little more convincing, I’m going to be posting a devotion from the “For My Single Friend” devotional every day this week. Hopefully this will give you some insight into what you can expect from this devotional and leave you with zero doubt in your mind that you need to get your hands on this resource!

So, without any further delay, let’s jump into today’s devotional.

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For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:10

I’m going to date myself a little bit here when I say this, but I didn’t have an Instagram account until my freshman year of college.

Instagram was created during my senior year of high school, so I had already graduated before I jumped on the IG bandwagon. Keep in mind that means Tiktok and BeReal were nowhere to be found for quite some time.

Social media has changed quite a bit since then. And I’m pretty confident in saying that all of the different social media platforms have made it exceedingly more difficult for us as believers to figure out who we are and where our identity is rooted. It’s not like I’m scrolling through nothing but pictures and videos reminding me of who I am in Christ. Instead, I’m consistently reminded of how I don’t measure up, how I fall short of society’s standard, or how my house, my body, and my life look nothing like “that girl.”

I specifically remember struggling throughout my twenties with the fact that people in relationships seemed to get a lot more attention and affirmation on social media than those who were single.

I know this was true for me, at least. When I posted about my different travel excursions, my small group outings, or even mini-devotionals, sure I would get likes and comments. But they didn’t compare to the engagement I received when I posted a picture with the guy I was dating at the time. It’s like my identity increased in value based on my relationship status.

That reality did a number on me for a while. And I started to buy into the lie that I was more valuable as a person if I was in a relationship. It took quite a few reminders from the Lord - whether He was speaking through His Word, my friends, my mentors, or many other avenues – to remind me that my value as a person had absolutely nothing to do with whether or not I was dating, engaged, or married. It had everything to do with who my Savior was. That’s all there was to it.

As this truth about my identity slowly started to sink in, I started diving deeper into what God’s Word says about His children...what it says about me and who I am in Him. I was amazed at what I found. I was humbled by how much truth and encouragement the Lord gives us in His Word about our identity.

So friend, if you’re struggling with remembering where your identity is rooted – if you’re catching yourself believing the lie that your value is based on your relationship status – I hope that you will take the time to read over and meditate on this list. Write it in your journal or in your Bible. Let the words penetrate your soul. And find peace and joy in what God says is true about you, even when, and especially when, the world is trying to convince you otherwise.

You are complete. (Colossians 2:10)

You are chosen. (1 Thessalonians 1:4)

You are forgiven. (1 John 2:12)

You are a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17) 

You are a child of God. (1 John 3:1)

You are redeemed. (Ephesians 1:7)

You are free from sin. (Romans 6:2)

You are more than a conqueror. (Romans 8:27)

You are God’s temple. (1 Corinthians 3:16)

You are called. (1 Corinthians 7:17)

You are created for good works. (Ephesians 2:10)

You are safe in Christ Jesus. (Colossians 3:3)

You are victorious. (1 Corinthians 15:57)

You are guarded by God’s peace. (Philippians 4:7)

You are accepted. (Romans 15:7)

You are an ambassador for Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:20)

You are healed. (Psalm 30:2)

You are well planted. (Psalm 1:3)

You are beautiful. (Song of Solomon 4:7)

You are not alone. (Isaiah 41:10)

You are sufficient. (2 Corinthians 3:5)

You are strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10)

You are blessed. (Psalm 84:4)

You are special to God. (1 Peter 2:9)

You are precious to God. (Isaiah 43:4)

You are wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14)

You are hopeful. (Jeremiah 29:11)

See, friend? Look at how the Lord sees you! Look at what He says about you! These things are all true. These truths point to your true identity. And there’s nothing – no relationship status, no societal standard, no social media trend – that can discount or disprove these truths.