Blog 8: The Lens that Changes Everything

We’ve come a long way in this journey.

From growing up in a house full of helpers…
To realizing the difference between humility and invisibility…
To discovering how pain, identity, and emotional growth all intersect with our faith…

And while the journey continues, there’s one truth that ties everything together:

The lens we choose to look through shapes the life we live. 

For so long, I looked at myself through the lens of performance. Through the eyes of others. Through a tangled web of expectations, responsibilities, and silent questions like:

“Am I doing enough?”
“Am I helping the right way?”
“Does anyone even see me?”

But every single one of those questions was rooted in comparison or conditioning—not in truth.

And if we’re honest, most of us are walking around holding the wrong lens.

Some of us are looking through the lens of social media, measuring our worth by likes, comments, or curated images of other people’s lives.
Some of us are looking through the lens of past pain, filtering everything through wounds that never fully healed.
Some are looking through the lens of expectations, what culture says we should be, what our families need us to be, or what our younger selves hoped we would be by now.

But here’s what I’ve learned:
None of those lenses tell the truth. 

They distort. They diminish. They distract.

That’s why everything changed when I started looking at my life, and myself, through the lens of who God is.

Because when you know who God is, you begin to understand who you are.

You begin to see that you were created with intention.
You begin to believe that you are fearfully and wonderfully made.
You begin to realize that your identity isn’t built on performance, perception, or even other people’s approval.

It’s built on truth.

And truth does something powerful....it sets you free.

Free to show up fully, even if it’s messy.
Free to take risks, even if it means disappointing someone.
Free to love, serve, speak, rest, and lead, not for approval, but from a desire to run the race God created you to run.

I no longer live to be seen. I live because I am seen, by the One who formed me.

And that changes everything.

It changes how I respond when someone is disappointed in me.
It changes how I view failure...not as a verdict, but as a lesson.
It changes how I relate to my past, my present, and my future.

Because knowing who I am gives me the strength to live with confidence.
But knowing who He is gives me the courage to live with compassion and humility. To think of myself less.

That’s the lens that matters.
That’s the truth that lasts.

And that’s the journey I want to invite others into. Not one of perfection, but one of presence.
Not a life built on approval, but one built on alignment with who God created you to be.

Because when you live through His lens, your story becomes one of freedom, purpose, and impact.
Not just for you, but for everyone your life touches.

Reflection Prompt:
What lens have you been using to define your worth—and what would change if you began to see yourself through the lens of who God is?