The words spoken over our lives—whether true, partially true, or completely false—hold a lot of significance. I recently listened to the GraceStory Podcast episode with Jeremy Harrell, “Beyond the Sentence: Finding Purpose in the Process,” and felt equally challenged and in awe as he shared his story. In one moment, he went from being seen as a hero—a veteran, husband, father, CEO, advocate, and Christian—to being accused of committing a felony.
In the episode, he and Nate unpack what it’s like to have your life drastically altered by one word and the collateral impact that happens as a result, which invited me to consider my own story.
At the beginning of sixth grade, everyone was my friend. There were no cliques, no divides, no hidden rules to live by. It was the best. I had a friend on the softball team, and we had a lot of fun together until she learned where I lived—in a small cottage house on the other side of town. She lived on the wealthy side, with houses triple the size and cost of mine. I knew something changed when I sat in the chair she saved for me at lunch, and I felt a squish. I stood up and saw she put ketchup in my chair and she burst out in laughter. Then, someone pulled me aside and told me she had been spreading rumors about me. I knew the rumors weren't true, but shortly after learning about the rumor, I started receiving unwanted attention from boys and being treated negatively by my peers. At such a crucial time of my identity formation, I began to wonder if she was right about me.
Twenty years later, I can look back and see how this one word spoken about me created a ripple effect of pain and harm. Shortly after this rumor took root, I became a Christian and had to choose which word I wanted to believe: the rumor, or God’s promise. I took comfort in knowing I had a new identity in Christ, but I am still working through the consequences of this rumor to this day.
Jeremy shared in his episode, “No matter what people call you, if you’re in Christ, you are a child of God.” While words spoken by man have significant implications on our lives, the message I took from Jeremy’s story is that there are no eternal implications. Christ knows the truth about us; therefore, we can know the truth about us. There is such great hope in God having the final say about who we are—with eyes full of mercy and love. Isn’t that beautiful?
Our new identity will constantly be tested. We have to face the challenge of choosing which statements about our worth we want to embrace every day. However, the most comforting truth is that even if we believe the accusations made against us, God's opinion remains unchanged. We are loved, forgiven, and made in His image.
“So from now on, we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:16-17
Prompt:
Take a plain sheet of paper and write out accusations that have been made about you or that you have believed about yourself. Then, take a marker or colored pencil and circle the words that have had the deepest impact. Take another color and circle the word that has caused the most harm. Is there a story connected to that word? Take 15 minutes or so to write out the story and share it with a trusted friend, counselor, pastor, or coach. Invite them to respond to the story with care and see if they can reflect how God sees you.
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