Nothing to Prove: Knowing Who You Are in Christ

For so much of our lives, we can find ourselves trying to prove something.

That we're successful enough.

Attractive enough.

Talented enough.

Capable enough.

Or simply good enough.

But somewhere around the age of 28 or 29, God began teaching me something that completely changed the way I saw myself:

I have nothing to prove because I've already been approved by God.

It wasn't that I suddenly thought I had everything figured out. It wasn't arrogance or believing I was better than anyone else.

Actually, it was almost the opposite.

For years, I had struggled with whether I was enough.

And as my relationship with God grew, I began realizing that I had been allowing other people's opinions to answer questions about myself that I needed to bring to God.

When You Know Whose You Are

Around that time, I decided to cut all my hair off, dye it, and completely change my look.

People definitely had opinions.

I heard things like:

"Don't do it."

"You're going to regret it."

And years earlier, those opinions probably would have affected my decision.

But this time was different.

For probably the first time in my life, I genuinely felt comfortable making the decision without needing everyone else to approve of it.

Not because I suddenly had incredible confidence in myself.

My relationship with God had given me a confidence I hadn't experienced before.

I was becoming comfortable in my own skin because I was beginning to understand who I was—and, more importantly, whose I was.

There's a big difference between believing "I don't care what anybody thinks" and realizing "What somebody thinks about me doesn't determine my worth."

One is rooted in ourselves.

The other is rooted in God.

Who Are You Trying to Prove You're Enough For?

Galatians 1:10 asks:

"Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God?"

That's a powerful question.

Because sometimes seeking approval doesn't look like trying to impress everyone.

Sometimes it looks like quietly wondering:

Am I enough?

Am I attractive enough?

Successful enough?

Smart enough?

Talented enough?

Do they like me?

Do they approve of my choices?

Do they think I'm doing enough?

And without realizing it, we can begin allowing other people's opinions to determine how we see ourselves.

Maybe it's a parent.

A spouse.

Friends.

People you work with.

People from your past.

Or maybe the person you're constantly trying to prove yourself to is you.

The problem is that people's opinions are always changing.

Our circumstances change.

Our appearance changes.

Careers change.

Success comes and goes.

Relationships change.

If our identity is built on those things, we're going to spend our lives trying to keep proving that we're enough.

But there's something that doesn't change:

Who you are in Christ.

Already Approved

Ephesians 1:6 gives us a beautiful picture of the grace and acceptance we've been given through Christ.

Some translations use the phrase:

"Accepted in the Beloved."

I love that.

Accepted.

Not once you've accomplished enough.

Not once everyone understands you.

Not once you've become successful.

Not once you finally look the way you think you're supposed to look.

Not once you've proven yourself.

Through Christ, you are accepted.

That's where the idea "Nothing to Prove. Already Approved." comes from for me.

It doesn't mean we don't grow.

It doesn't mean we don't listen to wise counsel.

It doesn't mean we never need correction.

And it definitely doesn't mean we think we're better than anyone else.

It means our worth isn't constantly up for a vote.

We don't have to ask the world every morning:

"Am I enough today?"

Our identity has a stronger foundation.

Confidence in Christ Is Different

I think sometimes Christians can become uncomfortable with the word confidence.

We don't want to become prideful.

And we shouldn't.

But humility and insecurity aren't the same thing.

There's a kind of confidence that comes from knowing exactly where your strength comes from.

It's not:

"Look how great I am."

It's:

"Look who my God is."

It's knowing that you can walk into the places God calls you because He's the One who called you there.

You can be yourself without constantly comparing yourself to everyone around you.

You can receive correction without believing correction means you're worthless.

You can experience rejection without allowing rejection to become your identity.

You can fail without believing you're a failure.

And you can stop shrinking yourself simply because you're afraid you won't measure up.

Not because you've suddenly become enough on your own.

Because your identity is rooted in Christ instead of your performance.

Just Jesus

Maybe that's part of why the words Just Jesus mean so much to us at Lord & Armor.

Strip everything else away.

The titles.

The accomplishments.

The appearance.

The comparisons.

The pressure.

The opinions.

The need to prove yourself.

What's left?

Just Jesus.

Jesus is where our identity begins.

Jesus is where we find our security.

Jesus is the One who reminds us that we belong to God.

And when you begin to understand who you are because you know whose you are, you start walking differently.

You don't have to prove you're better than anyone.

You don't have to prove you're perfect.

You don't even have to prove that you're enough.

You can simply become who God is calling you to be.

Nothing to Prove

Maybe you've spent years questioning whether you're good enough.

Maybe you've allowed someone's opinion to carry far more weight than it should.

Maybe you've been comparing yourself to everyone around you.

Or maybe you've accomplished plenty and still find yourself wondering why it never quite makes you feel like enough.

Bring that question to God.

Ask Him to show you where you've been looking to other people to establish something that should be rooted in Him.

And remind yourself:

I belong to God.

I am loved by God.

I am accepted in Christ.

My identity isn't determined by someone else's opinion of me.

You have nothing to prove to earn the identity Christ has already given you.

So I'll leave you with one question:

Who are you still trying to prove you're enough for?

Maybe today is the day you stop allowing their answer to define you.

Because when you know whose you are, you can finally begin to understand who you are.

Nothing to prove. Already approved.

If this message spoke to you, share it with someone who may need the same reminder today.

And if you want a simple reminder to keep your focus where it belongs, explore the Just Jesus Collection at Lord & Armor.

Until next time, stay rooted in God's Word and stand strong in the Lord... with Lord & Armor.