Who are you?

Not your name. Not your job. Not your role in the family. But who are you at your core?

How you answer that question shapes everything — how you live, how you love, and how you see yourself. If you believe you are loved, you will live differently than if you believe you are unworthy. If you believe you are forgiven, you will walk differently than if you believe you are shameful.

And yet, so much of how we view ourselves is tangled up in a single three-letter word: sin.

Sin isn’t just about breaking rules; it’s about breaking relationship. It’s about a distorted identity — about living outside of the design God created for us. And the enemy knows this. That’s why his first attack in the Garden of Eden wasn’t just about temptation — it was about identity theft.

In Genesis 3, Satan plants doubt in Eve’s mind:

“Did God really say…?” (Genesis 3:1)

Then he twists the truth:

“You will not certainly die… For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God.” (Genesis 3:4-5)

But here’s the deception: Eve was already made in the image of God.

Satan convinced her she needed to do something to become what she already was. Sound familiar?

• You need to prove yourself.

• You need to work harder.

• You need to be more successful.

• You need to clean yourself up before God will love you.

The lie hasn’t changed. The enemy still whispers that we are not enough, so we reach for things that promise security, power, or worth—only to find ourselves emptier than before.

Sin always works this way. It looks good. It seems desirable. It promises fulfillment. But it always costs more than we expect.

And when sin enters, shame follows. Shame is the enemy’s favorite weapon. Guilt says, “I did something wrong.” Shame says, “I am something wrong.”

That’s why Adam and Eve hid after they sinned. They weren’t just afraid of what they did — they were afraid of who they had become.

But God’s response?

“Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9)

Not because He didn’t know—but because they had lost themselves.

And God is still asking that question today. Who told you that you’re too broken to be loved? Who told you that your past defines your future? Who told you that you’ll never change? If it wasn’t God, why are you believing it?

Sin distorts, but Jesus restores.

What was lost in the Garden was restored at the cross.

“If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Jesus didn’t just come to forgive sin—He came to restore identity. To remind us of who we were always meant to be.

He calls us sons and daughters. (Galatians 4:7)

He calls us chosen and beloved. (Colossians 3:12)

He calls us redeemed and whole. (Ephesians 1:7)

Sin dries us up. Shame drains us. We chase success, relationships, addictions—anything to quench the thirst in our souls.

But nothing satisfies. Until we come to Jesus—the only source of Living Water.

“Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7:38)

This is your invitation today: Step out of shame. Step into grace. Stop hiding and start living as the person God has called you to be.

And this week, before you do anything else each morning, look in the mirror and declare these three truths over yourself:

1. I am deeply loved by God.

2. I am not defined by my past, but by Christ’s redemption.

3. I have a purpose that no one can take away.

Sin distorts. Jesus restores.

Which voice will you believe?

Joshua Lien is the Pastor at Monett Nazarene Church and may be reached at 417-312-9809 or josh@monazchurch.com.