We are all equal in Christ. Sounds pretty obvious, I know. But I’m going to keep on saying it, because the thing is that while it may be obvious in theory, in practice it seems that it’s not. I say that because if we really believed and practiced this truth, it would begin to impact the way we treat our spouses, our neighbors and maybe, most of all, it would impact on the way we see ourselves.

So many women I know look in the mirror and see imperfection. We compare ourselves to cover models. We compare ourselves to women who seem to have it all together. We think we’re not skinny enough, not young enough, too sinful, too emotional, too much!

For so long tradition has dictated who is inferior, who has value, who should be respected, but that is not God’s way. He loves everybody. He loves us all the same. We are individually the apple of His eye, the focus of His affection. We are all children of God. Rich, poor, sick, well, man, woman, slave, free.

The devil would have you believe that you must be perfect before you approach God. He’d have you believe that Christ holds men in higher regard. He’d have you believe that Christ holds more mature believers in higher regard. He’d have you believe that you are too much or not enough.

Maybe we judge others this way. Maybe we look at other women and hold them to impossible standards.

The truth of God’s word delivers a very different verdict! In Christ, we have perfection. We are sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency. In Christ alone we have strength to be all we were created to be!

When we begin to view others through the lens of how Christ sees them, we have fresh grace. When we realize that Christ made time for prostitutes and tax collectors and foreigners and people of different ages and genders, we realize that maybe we should too!

We also realize that as imperfect as we may be, as many times as we may miss the mark, Christ makes time for us. We don’t need to be getting it all right before we can approach Him. No! We can boldly approach the throne of grace.

Isn’t that the most beautiful truth? Doesn’t that make you feel free? To know that we can freely approach the King of kings and the Lord of lords? We need to hear this truth. We need to know this truth. This truth needs to move beyond theory to heartfelt conviction so that we can freely move forward together as brothers and sisters living our lives for His glory.