One of the greatest gifts God gives His children is a deeper knowledge about themselves.

Many of us pick up pieces of personalities throughout our life and paste them to ourself in a makeshift kind of collage that presents to the world how we wish to be known.

It’s a tattoo that displays attitude, appearance, and attempts to articulate an image of who we are or wish to be.

We see this early on as fads and fashion trends take root through middle and high school as the style of haircuts, shoes, and clothes seem to blur everyone together and paint them all in a mirror image hue.

As such, our personalities begin the meld into similar hues as well. It’s as if our desperation to be seen actually causes us to be unseen individually and more so collectively. Perhaps we somehow feel the group we identify with helps us express ourselves even louder.

I know high school was painful in this way for me. I so wanted to win approvals I lost who I was in the process. In fact, I’m still recovering much of what was lost, abandoned, or forgotten in those days.

God creates us all distinctively different and diverse. He is a master artisan and everything He creates is a divine one of a kind masterpiece.

He knows who we are, and as He heals our wounded hearts from a world that desperately seeks conformity, our divine individuality begins to emerge.

It’s a liberating experience and at the same time a bit frightening because we can’t help but notice the separations that begin to happen because of it. Perhaps we no longer “fit in“ where we once did. We find our heart’s desire longing for other places, peoples, purposes, and passions.

A strange transformation begins to take place that is at the same time freeing and a bit frightening. It’s the worldliness falling away that is scary. Because it has been our security for so long, but now we know it’s not our home. God is and He untethers our souls from the longings of this world. They become redirected and our hearts overflow in compassion for this world but they are no longer tied to it.

We become, as the Bible says, “in the world, but not of it”.

Our performances to win approvals wains, and we slowly learn how to simply be ourselves no matter the setting, the place, or the people we are with. We can be comfortable with actually being who we truly are wherever we are.

Jesus was like this – He was never not Himself. He was true, and He helps us be the same.

I look forward to the day I can be completely comfortable and confident in knowing who I am. For now, the personalities and performances that aren’t truly me are falling away, as I learn my true acceptance and approval is already established by God – not by man. And God is showing me who I am and who I was created to be. What I truly enjoy, what I truly desire, and why.

For example, I used to think I needed a few drinks to loosen me up before I could truly engage, entertain, and enjoy others and crowds. I used to think I was actually introverted, but that was all rooted in insecurities.

For some, they have perhaps always known who they are, have always been comfortable and confident with who they are, and have never compromised themselves for conformity sake. I wish that had been me, and I pray it will be my kids.

However, for many of us, learning and knowing who we are is a process and honestly it can’t be done without Jesus Christ, our Creator, revealing who we are and who He created us to be. He holds the key, and I thank God for that! For it’s so much better than who we may be trying, or being told to be.