Romans 3:10 

As the scripture is written, "There is not one righteous, not even one."

God is stretching me right now. Stretching me in ways that I realize I'm still relying on myself and others to get through this life, and not the Lord. And while in the midst of this, I feel like it's extremely discouraging, I know this is a positive thing. I know God is shaping and molding me into who He needs. I know that I am not worthy to be a part of His mission, but through His mercy and grace, He takes care of all those shortcomings. I become worthy of the task, because God needs me to be worthy of the task at hand. I may not see myself in the best light, but God sees me through His perfect Son.

I've got to stop relying on how I think people perceive me and how they do perceive me, and turn to God's definition of who I am. What an intense weight that adds to not only my friends, family and even complete strangers, but especially to my husband. Not only do I place my own perceptions on how he might see me, but then I constantly ask him for the reassurance of who I am.

2 Corinthians 12:5-13

On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses—though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.  But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Oh may I be content in my sufferings, how ever large or minor they are! May I be content for Christ. May my identity not be found in a ministry assistant, a leader in college & career, a daughter of Shirley & Gregg, or a wife to Stephen. May my identity be in Christ alone. All the things I've defined my life by can and will probably fade in my lifetime, and then who would I be? What would be left? Nothing.

My identity in Christ can never fade. That is an identity that will cover me into the next life too!