Where are we looking?

Hey! My name is Lauren Hensley and I am from Knoxville, Tennessee. Abby’s platform is not only a great message to share, I believe it is essential! Over the course of my life, I have realized that I am a people pleaser. By the sound of it, it might sound great but by the nature of the characteristic for me, it defined my identity. My identity quickly became in what other people saw in me. Whether that be through a sport, through my personality, or through a relationship... I continually strived to fulfill this image that I thought was required of me. Not only was this unobtainable, it was life draining. Not only was it life draining, it was my pride saying “I got this. I can handle this on my own.” Unfortunately, this continued for a period of time that was far to long. As soon as I became “comfortable” in this pattern, the Lord showed me how quick it can be taken away when we are not TRUELY rooted in Him. My “status” or what I had been priding myself in for many years all came crashing down. There’s to many details to explain it all but I hit a low. That low came because I didn’t know (and didn’t take the time to know) my true identity. The enemy used that low to throw insecurities at me. “Lauren, nobody else your age has a life like this. How do you not know what you want to do with your life? Why are you still single? What happened to all your friends? It’s kinda lame that you’ve tried 3 different colleges now. So how many internships does this make? Hopefully year 7 of college will finally be your year.” And this list goes on. Here’s the thing: when we allow the world, or the enemy to shape our lives - it gets deeper than we ever intended it to get. BUT GOD. No matter where we are or what our lives look like, we serve a God who sees past that. He looks through the junk to see me as His daughter. Someone He uniquely created with a purpose to bring glory to His kingdom. The best part of my story is Jesus. Without Him, I would still be seeking “status” instead of seeking my Savior. He saw me wandering but did not give up on me, just like he does for all of us. Our TRUE identity is found in Christ alone and all it takes is humility. Whatever you’re seeking, whatever insecurities are in your head - give it up. Give it to the Lord with open arms for Him to fill you with His purpose, to encourage you with His word, and to fill your true identity. If you’re struggling today, know that Jesus has already won. He’s already given you such a beautiful identity and purpose far more than we can see with our own eyes. 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”