It’s my pleasure to host beautiful, seriously inspiring Jennifer Rothschild today. Her new book, “Invisible: How You Feel is Not Who You Are” releases today! Here's Jennifer:
Blind. Short. Menopausal. That’s me!
Sometimes I feel overlooked, underestimated and insecure – simply put, I can feel invisible.
Have you ever felt invisible? Maybe you’re a stay-at-home mom who feels she is only seen when needed. Or maybe you feel overlooked at work because you’re at the bottom of the totem pole.
I know that feeling of being invisible all too well. I settled for and believed those feelings for far too long, but here’s the truth that has helped me hush the lies of insecurity: how I feel is not who I am!
I may feel overlooked or insignificant or invisible, but that isn’t who I am. When I feel invisible and like one big short menopausal insecure mess, that’s when I tell myself the truth, “I am not how I feel!” But, I also go a step further to see why I feel that way in the first place. And, most of the time, it’s because I’m believing lies.
When we are chained by insecurity or feel totally unimportant or just feel down right overlooked and undervalued, it’s most likely due to the fact that we’re believing lies.
So, let’s expose some sneaky lies and see them for what they are. I’ll give you the lie first and then follow it with the truth.
Lie #1: Who I am and what I struggle with are the same thing.
Sometimes we think, “If I fail, I am a failure.” But that’s not true! Yes, we all make mistakes, but our struggles don’t have to define us—they can refine us. God determines who we are, and our struggles can be used to clarify His life and character in us.
If we assume that we are our weaknesses, we will live in defeat. We are who God says we are; we’re not the culmination of our failures. You may “feel” rejected or unnoticed or nonproductive or…well, fill in your own word…but that doesn’t mean you are any of those things. When you know who you truly are and act out of your correct identity, you will always begin with “I am…” instead of “I feel…” when you describe yourself.
I am God’s beloved.
I am chosen.
I am not perfect, but I am valuable.
Truth#1: Our struggles don’t have to define us—they can refine us
Lie #2: Who I am and what I do are the same thing.
We are human beings, not human doings. Our identity is not based on what we do—it’s based on what God did for us. If we base our sense of self on our abilities, our profession, or our status, we risk losing our sense of self when and if those things change. And that will only leave us feeling disoriented and wondering who we are.
Instead, we must base our identity on that which never changes—the truth of God’s Word and His everlasting love for us. We simply need to receive who we are from God, not achieve a status for God.
Truth #2: Our identity is not based on what we do—it’s based on what God did for us.
Lie #3: Who I am is not good enough.
When we are performance-driven rather than provision-driven, it causes us to live with a “not good enough” mentality. We tell ourselves that we must perform in order to be accepted, yet God tells us that He has already performed on our behalf—and His provision is enough. When we feel invisible, we feel the need to be “more”.
Unfortunately, when we feel invisible, it’s often because we trust our opinion of ourselves more than we trust God and His opinion of us. But there’s one thing I do know for certain. My opinion on its own is “not good enough” to tell me the truth of who I am! My feelings can be fickle and my hard-to-die habit of insecurity often tries to scream louder than God’s voice.
Truth #3: We do not perform in order to be accepted; God has already performed on our behalf.
Sister, when you know the truth about who you are, you will never feel invisible. Let’s help each other believe truth! When we know God’s truth and believe God’s truth, we are satisfied and freed up to embrace our true identity.
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