Life has a way of changing us. At one time we were outgoing, excited about our dreams, grateful for our family. We saw the best in people, excelled at work, were positive and hopeful. Then life happens. We go through a disappointment and lose a little joy and confidence. We make mistakes and lose a little sense of value. People do us wrong and we lose a little passion. Eventually, we look in the mirror and think, “I’ve lost myself. I don’t even recognize who I am.”
You may feel like you’ve lost yourself, but the good news is, you can find yourself. You can go back to who God made you to be. The real you is still there—the joyful you, the passionate you, the confident you, the caring you. One reason Jesus came was to recover what was lost or stolen, to heal what was broken, to give you beauty for ashes, joy for mourning. What you’ve lost is coming back. God is about to do a new thing. He’s going to breathe on you with new life, new passion, new opportunities, and new vision.
When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, they immediately felt guilty, ashamed, fearful; they hid from the God whose presence and company they had previously loved. God called out to Adam, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9). He was saying, “Adam, where is the you I created? Where is the confident you, the joyful you, the peaceful you, the you that loves to be with Me?” He called them to come out of hiding, because God can’t heal what’s hidden. When you’ve lost who you are, you have to make the choice to come out of isolation, out of fear, shame, and regrets. God is right there to restore the joy, the talent, the favor, and the confidence, but you have to come to Him.
Is there some area you need to come out of hiding? Have you lost part of yourself? Things happened that have taken your joy, limited your vision, stopped your creativity. Now you’ve settled in that area. You’re not pursuing your dreams, not enjoying your family, not passionate about life. God is saying, “Come out of hiding and go back to who I created you to be. Let Me love You back to wholeness and give you a new beginning.” Get your fire back, get your dream back. No more isolating, checking out, pretending to be there but not engaging. This is a new day. I believe that the part of you that you lost is coming back—the creative you, the outgoing you, the compassionate you, the generous you, the successful you, the victorious you. You haven’t seen the best version of you yet. It’s still in front of you.