We were sitting on the bench before my varsity high school basketball game when my coach came over to sit by me. It seemed like she knew everything—even about our personal lives. I was 15 years old and searching for love in all the wrong places. I was emulating my friends’ behaviors and looks because I wanted to be accepted by my peers. My coach said, “I know you are trying to find yourself right now, but you need to understand that you will never really find yourself until you see yourself through Jesus’ eyes.”

I rolled my eyes and told her I knew who I was. But I was terrified after she walked away. It was as if she’d seen straight through to my heart, exposed for what it was: chasing after everything but Jesus.

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, He takes away all our sins, and His perfect blood covers us. As humans, we’re born into sin. Maybe you feel like you cannot remember a time when you didn’t struggle with lying, stealing, lust, addictions, or any number of other things, but our stories do not end how they begin! As a follower of Jesus and competitor, your identity in Him is the truest thing about you.

Trust God's plan for your life and live for Him, search for Him and welcome His love.