How we feel about who we are is impacted by so many things—our upbringing, our culture, our talents, our wounds, our friends, our family, and so much more. But one unchangeable truth about each one of us is that God made us unique, and no one is a mistake! While our feelings are real, they can’t define who we are. Only God can do that!
But our culture is coming at us from all different angles to tell us that actually, maybe there was a mistake made. Maybe some of us are born in the wrong body. While there are factors that can lead to this belief, it’s just not the truth. Just like body dysphoria can lead to destructive eating habits through anorexia and bulimia, gender dysphoria is leading to destructive “care” given by doctors and psychologists who are prescribing hormones and surgeries to make changes to strong bodies and healthy body parts for people who believe their body is a mistake.
The world is lying to you and the devil is trying to destroy you with these lies. And our world is broken. If we interpret who we are through the broken lens of the world, our feelings, our wounds, or what others tell us, we will almost always believe lies about who we are. The pain and confusion are real, but they do not make the lies true.
God’s truth is so much better than the lies of this world and His truth can set you free. His truth is this.
God is the one who made us male and female. We read in Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” When God made the plants, animals, oceans and mountains, He said that they were good. When He made the Sun, moon, planets and stars, He said that they were good. But when God made man and woman, He said that they were very good.
God did not just make people way back when He first made the world. He still makes each person born today, and He made each one of us. God made you the gender you were born with for a purpose! In Psalm 139, we read King David praising God for making Him personally while David was yet unborn. He says this, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” We may not love our bodies. And most people have things they would change about their appearance if they could. But God made you personally. And God does not make mistakes.
God wants you to know that He has a purpose for you. He wants you to know that you are loved. Even if you are different or feel different than other people of your gender. Even if you feel like you want to be another gender, or even if you relate better to others of the opposite sex, your gender is not a mistake. God wants to walk with you in your pain and confusion. He wants to help you find answers in Him. And He can.
Jesus died for you. His body was broken for you. He paid the price for you, because you are valuable—just as He made you, just as you are. No matter where you are, what you’ve done, how you feel, or what you call yourself, God can meet you right there. He loves you.
The Bible tells us that we are all sinners, broken by sin, impacted by a sinful world, but God offers us the gift of forgiveness and healing. He offers us His comforting presence to help bring clarity in a world that constantly reminds us of our brokenness, but in fact brings nothing to actually heal us. His presence and forgiveness are a gift. How do we receive this gift? He offers it to us. He invites us to come to Him in prayer, to humble ourselves, and to acknowledge our sin. When we recognize that we are sinners, and repent, by faith, we receive the forgiveness that God offers us. Christ’s death on the cross results in our being declared righteous. I Corinthians 5:17 says that “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone. The new has come.” No matter who or where you are, you can be saved, set free, and made new.
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Laura's story as a woman who tried living as transgender for 9 years of her life…
