There comes a point in many of our lives when we begin asking deeper questions—questions about identity, purpose, and why our life story unfolded the way it did. My own journey has been full of moments where I felt lost, broken, and overwhelmed by comparison. For years, I wondered why others seemed to have what I longed for, and why my path felt so heavy and confusing. In those moments of despair, I never imagined that God was patiently shaping me for something greater.
Today, when I look back, I see more clearly that we truly are born to shine—not because our lives are perfect, but because God created us with intention and calls us to reflect His light. This is my story of how God gently met me in my lowest seasons, lifted me out of bitterness, and led me into the freedom of knowing who I am in Him.
When Life Feels Unfair
There were long seasons of my life when I carried a heart full of complaints—years where I questioned everything. I was constantly comparing myself to others and wondering, “Why doesn’t my life look like theirs? Why was I the one born into hardship?”
I convinced myself that God had treated me unfairly. Every setback felt like a confirmation that my life was somehow defective. Inside, I was exhausted from trying to make sense of the pain. I felt like I had received only the leftover pieces of joy that others rejected. Even though I believed in God, I quietly resented Him. I blamed Him for the things I didn’t have, the things I couldn’t change, and the pain I didn’t understand.
But even in my bitterness, God didn’t abandon me. Like David crying out in the Psalms or Job pouring out his heart in distress, I was lamenting—but God was listening. What I didn’t know then was that He was getting ready to turn my lament into testimony.
God Was Working When I Couldn’t See It
Looking back now, I can recognize something I couldn’t understand at the time: God was working behind the scenes. Every painful experience, every disappointment, and every tearful night was quietly building something inside me.
I used to think that suffering meant God was distant. Now I see that suffering was the place where He was closest.
Jeremiah 29:11 became a verse that anchored my heart: “For I know the plans I have for you… plans to give you hope and a future.” God wasn’t punishing me—He was preparing me. He was equipping me with a heart that could understand others who suffer, a heart that could encourage, a heart that could feel deeply. None of my experiences were wasted.
The same hands that allowed the struggles were the hands that would eventually guide me out of them.
Gratitude: The Beginning of Healing
My healing began the moment I chose to shift my perspective. I realized that constantly focusing on what I lacked was poisoning my spirit. When I started practicing gratitude—intentionally, even when it felt unnatural—something changed inside me.
I began thanking God for small things: a peaceful morning, a warm meal, a moment of laughter, the sound of birds, even the breath in my lungs. Slowly, gratitude softened the hardness in my heart. It helped me recognize God’s faithfulness in places I had overlooked.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “Give thanks in all circumstances,” not because everything feels good, but because thanksgiving realigns our hearts toward truth. Gratitude didn’t remove my problems, but it transformed the way I carried them. It brought light back into places where I had allowed darkness to grow.
Choosing Forgiveness and Letting Go of the Past
As my heart softened, God began addressing another layer of healing: forgiveness.
I had carried resentment toward my family, toward my circumstances, and even toward myself. I didn’t realize how much bitterness I held until God gently revealed it. Resentment is a heavy burden—it drains joy, steals peace, and blinds us to God’s goodness.
Jesus challenges us to forgive not just once but over and over (Matthew 18:21–22). I learned that forgiveness is not about excusing what happened—it’s about releasing the weight that was never meant to define me.
The day I chose to forgive was the day I began to feel truly free. My heart felt lighter. I stopped rehearsing old pains in my mind. I started seeing people—including my own family—through the lens of grace rather than disappointment.
God cannot pour new blessings into a heart filled with old bitterness. Forgiveness made room for the new things He wanted to do in my life.
Breaking Free From Cultural Expectations
Growing up in a culture where parents sacrifice everything for their children, I internalized the belief that my worth depended on fulfilling certain expectations. Like many others, I believed that my parents’ financial support or approval defined my value. When those expectations were unmet, I felt resentment, guilt, or shame.
But as I grew in my walk with God, I realized something profound: my identity does not come from culture—my identity comes from Christ.
My Provider is not my parents; my Provider is God.
Philippians 4:19 says, “My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory.” This truth set me free. I began to loosen my grip on what I thought life should look like and trust the One who had written my story. Breaking free from cultural expectations helped me discover the freedom of being God’s child—loved, valued, and provided for.
God Makes All Things New
One of the most beautiful promises in Scripture is found in 2 Corinthians 5:17:
“The old has gone, the new is here!”
When I surrendered my pain, my expectations, and my definitions of success, God began restoring parts of me I thought were permanently broken. He didn’t erase my past—He redeemed it. The same experiences that once crushed me became the very things God used to strengthen me.
I began noticing new courage inside me. New joy. New clarity. New purpose. God specializes in rebuilding what was once shattered. He turns ashes into beauty (Isaiah 61:3). What I once considered weaknesses became testimonies of His grace.
I learned that starting over with God doesn’t erase your story—it gives it meaning.
Learning to Shine for God’s Glory
Jesus calls us the light of the world (Matthew 5:14–16). That means we are meant to reflect Him—to bring hope into dark places and show compassion where others show judgment.
Today, shining doesn’t mean my life is perfect. It means I’ve learned to walk with God in each moment, trusting Him in the unknown and letting His love flow through me. I try to live with kindness, humility, and gratitude. I try to see people the way He sees them. I try to encourage those who are hurting the way I once needed encouragement.
I’ve learned that shining is not about being successful in the world’s eyes—it’s about living in alignment with God’s purpose. It’s about letting Him use your story to bless others. And it’s about remembering that every believer is God’s masterpiece, created for good works prepared in advance (Ephesians 2:10).
A Word to Anyone Still Hurting
If you’re reading this and you feel stuck, lost, or overwhelmed, I want to speak directly to your heart:
God sees you.
God hears you.
God cares about your pain.
You may feel forgotten, but you are deeply loved. You may feel broken, but God can rebuild you. You may feel like your story is going nowhere, but God is not finished with you yet.
Take one small step at a time:
- Start by thanking Him for one thing today.
- Release one burden into His hands.
- Forgive one person—maybe even yourself.
- Open your heart to one moment of His presence.
Psalm 34:18 promises that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted. Even when you can’t feel Him, He is holding you. Your tears are not unnoticed. Your prayers are not ignored. Your story has purpose.
And just like He did for me, He will guide you gently into a new beginning.
You Were Born to Shine
The truth I discovered—and the truth I want to pass on—is simple but powerful:
You were born to shine.
Not because of your achievements, but because God created you with intention.
Not because your past is perfect, but because God can redeem every part of it.
Not because you have everything figured out, but because His light lives in you.
Your life has meaning. Your story matters. Every trial has shaped you into someone who can reflect God’s love more beautifully.
Embrace His purpose.
Walk in His grace.
Trust His timing.
And let your life shine—not with your own strength, but with the radiance of His Spirit within you.