I was recently the recipient of an unexpected injury. Within seconds of another person accidentally colliding into me at full speed, my shoulder throbbed. I could barely extend my arm.
As a professional, my flower preservation work was suddenly much more limited. As a CrossFitter, this setback delayed my progress right before the annual Open competition. And when I tried to carry my bag as normal, a stinging sensation lingered for far longer than I expected. My shoulder swelled and bruised, but thankfully, the X-rays indicated that my bones were all intact.
And yet, somehow, I still felt broken.
Broken, just like the deconstructed and pressed flowers I work with.
Rather than exuding the confidence of a daughter of Christ, I was weighed down by the perspective that I was too broken to live out the life I wanted. I sulked at the thought of not moving forward in my God-given gifts or calling. But in reality, I wasn’t actually broken. I just allowed my feelings of disappointment and discouragement to dictate my worth.
How often do we define ourselves and our worth by the things we think break us? And how often do we feel broken, when we’re doing better than we think we are? Friend, what would happen if we stopped viewing ourselves through tainted lenses and began to see ourselves the way God sees us?
Maybe you’ve experienced a loss you never saw coming. Maybe you struggle to let go of your past sin. Or maybe you’re new to faith and haven’t yet grasped your full identity in Christ.
It’s true Paul preaches about rejoicing in our weaknesses because God works through us (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). It’s true God is close to the brokenhearted and comforts us in our grief (Psalm 34:18, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4). So, why do we struggle to shake off feelings of brokenness? And how can we step into freedom?
Oftentimes we feel trapped in brokenness because we don’t know our true identity. And even if we do, sometimes we don’t internalize and make meaning out of the facts. The more we know who He created us to be, the more we can live in freedom and fullness.
We pursue a relationship with God in order to know the truth.
“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” – James 4:8 (ESV)
James 4:8 tells us that as we draw near to God, He draws near to us. We can choose to spend time with God in prayer, praising Him and delighting in His presence. We can go to His Word and meditate on His promises and declarations.
God says we are:
- Loved (John 3:16, Romans 5:8)
- Chosen (Ephesians 1:5, 1 Peter 2:9)
- Redeemed (Isaiah 43:1, Colossians 1:14)
- Free from condemnation (Romans 8:1)
- His holy temple (1 Corinthians 3:16)
- His masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10)
- More than conquerors (Romans 8:37)
- Forgiven (1 John 1:9)
We recognize that, like Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12, Jesus’ power works best in our weaknesses because He makes us strong. We allow these places to become a platform for our greatest testimonies.
Our community influences how we see ourselves.
When we surround ourselves with believers who echo Scriptural truths to us, we’re more likely to walk in confidence of our God-given identity. If we choose to listen to influences that contradict who God says we are, we may drift into false narratives about ourselves. And, if we compare ourselves to others, we often think less of ourselves.
My recovery process with my shoulder brought about a deeper healing to my identity I didn’t know I needed. Just like my work with pressed flowers, I found beauty in a new, unexpected form.
When flowers are pressed, oftentimes the florist will deconstruct a flower petal by petal and flatten it in a press. After some time, they rebuild the flower to resemble the original and keep it in an elegant frame.
When we feel broken, what we need most isn’t to rush through the healing or recovery process. Instead, we can dissect our identity, one petal at a time. We can ensure the right things – who God says we are – define us at our core. And as we establish our foundation and identity in Christ, we will see ourselves as beautiful, worthy daughters of Christ, transformed by His grace.
My identity is not found in my athletic ability or my work, like I wanted to believe. Your identity is not discovered in what you do, either. This is where the problem takes root: we tend to label ourselves by our actions and accomplishments. Friend, our identities are not based on what we do, but who we are. We can stop placing our worth in what we do and embrace who Christ says we truly are. And, much like my hurting shoulder, we can put an end to viewing ourselves as broken.
We’re not less than or not enough, and we don’t have to live that way.
So, how can we best describe ourselves?
We’re not broken. We’re beloved.
Consider the Joy 
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