Who you are in Christ matters. If the enemy tried to challenge what God said about Jesus, why would we be surprised when thoughts come that challenge what God says about us? “You’re not really forgiven.” “You haven’t really changed.” “God is disappointed in you.” “You’re still who you used to be.” But our identity is not determined by the thoughts that enter our minds. It is grounded in what God has already said. You are a new creation in Christ. You are forgiven. You are accepted in the Beloved. You are a child of God. You belong to Jesus. The battle often begins when a thought asks: “Did God really say...?” Know what God says about you so you can recognize the lie when it comes.

Church hurt can change the way you see people. Spiritual abuse can change the way you see God. When someone uses spiritual authority, Scripture, shame, fear, or manipulation to control you, it can leave you questioning things you once knew to be true. Is God disappointed in me? Am I rebellious for asking questions? Was I wrong for setting boundaries? Did I fail God because I walked away? But here's something I want you to remember: People can misrepresent God without changing who God actually is. Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” — John 10:11 A shepherd may have failed you. A church may have failed you. A ministry may have failed you. But Jesus is still the Good Shepherd. This week at She Will Stand, we're talking about spiritual abuse—what it is, what it isn't, how unhealthy spiritual authority can distort our understanding of God and our identity in Christ, and how we begin replacing those distortions with biblical truth. If you've experienced church hurt or spiritual abuse, my prayer isn't that you simply learn to trust people again. It's that you learn to recognize the difference between who people told you God was and who Scripture reveals Him to be. Because the people who misrepresented God do not get to define God for you.