Yesterday, in Sunday School, my teacher unknowingly caused me to embark on a personal journey, and it was by asking me to do something so simple: stand in the middle of the room.

Instantly, I had my inner child quiver and fearful, insecurity about took control, but I was able to somewhat control it, by humor - making an awkward situation funny somehow. Anyway, in that 30 sec to a minute blip of  being out of control - the feelings and emotions I went through was quite estonishing. I was nervous, self-absorbed, insecure, wanting to hide to the farthest corners of the room, or just simply let the floor open up and swallow me whole. And then all to quickly the exercise was over.,and then onto our lesson for the morning.

As I was pondering what all happened that morning, I realized something: I am not as mature as what I thought! I know, shocking isn't it! But really, my spiritual life is not very mature and even though I have recognized my identity in Christ, I apparently still have some things to work on in my view of how Christ sees me, and how I actually stand before Him through His eyes.

In Sunday School, we were talking about being Holy, being set apart from the world. As my teacher was talking, something clicked. We are Holy because He is holy - that is my identity. I am strong and confident because He is strong and confident IN me. It is nothing that I have done or am doing, it is all because of His strengths, and His holiness, and His kindness, that I am any of those things. It's interesting that we as humans get so tied up in the small things, like our outward appearances, or our approval of our peers, or by anyone really. Why do we wrap our self worth and our identity up in things that will over time decay or fade away? I CAN stand boldly in a room without insecurity, without fear, and without intimidation because of Jesus Christ and who I am IN Him. He is my identity, He is my very core.

The gospel of Christ really is very simple: we just try to make it so much more complicated than it really is.

If I can fully wrap my mind and heart around this concept those little insecurities will fade away, because I know and can firmly put my feet on the solid ground that is Christ. I don't need to doubt myself because in doubting I doubt the mercy and grace of Christ in me. This also takes humility, because I realize that in my self without Christ I am nothing, I am that scared, insecure, timid child before I met Christ. But now that I have followed after Christ, allowed Him to take control of my heart, I can stand bold, confident and assured because of Christ.

So, when Christ asks me to 'be Holy' it simply means to allow His holiness to flow through me -to  stand in His identity of Holiness, not what I perceive Holiness is to be - I stand confidently in Him. I can do nothing without Christ, I am nothing without Christ, but with Him, in Him I am all that He sees me as. His child, His daughter, being molded into His image. I can boldly enter a room with all of His grace, His confidence, and if I become insecure that means I've lost sight of Who He is in me. He is my identity.

O how I love Jesus! O how I love Jesus! O how I love Jesus because He first loved me!