Identity in Christ: Why Your Worth Isn't in Your Trophies

This Fourth of July is a big one. Our nation turns 250. And in my house, it's also the day my twins came into the world — so this week is doing a lot of celebrating: fireworks, birthday candles, and a whole lot of "Happy Birthday, America" mixed in with "Happy Birthday, twinsies."

Birthdays have a way of making you look back. And when I look back at my own life, my mind keeps landing on trophies.

The Trophies I Used to Chase

I have always loved sports — both watching and playing. Growing up, I delusionally believed I was athletically gifted (I admire that confidence!). While I wasn't uncoordinated, I was probably chosen for teams more because of my personality than my abilities.

Still, I often ended up on winning teams and proudly displayed my trophies on a shelf where everyone could see them. For a while, they mattered so much. Then one day, they didn't. Eventually, they found their way into a closet, never to be seen again.

The New Trophies I Didn't Notice I Was Collecting

As I stepped into motherhood, I began collecting new "trophies" — the fullest schedule, the ability to juggle it all, the mom who never stops. I wore exhaustion like an achievement. Humility? Nowhere to be seen.

It made me start asking some uncomfortable questions:

Why do we wear our busyness like a badge of honor?

Why did I believe my self-worth was measured by how much I could handle?

What Our Worth Is Actually Measured By

Here's the truth I keep having to relearn: my worth isn't found in how many balls I can keep in the air. And neither is yours. Our worth is found in what God says about us.

So this Independence Day, while our country celebrates 250 years of freedom, I want to remind you of a freedom that matters even more — freedom from earning your worth. Consider the accolades He has already given us:

Forgiven "You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you." – Psalm 86:5

Loved "For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies." – Psalm 57:10

Redeemed "He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit." – Galatians 3:14

Known "Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." – Matthew 10:30-31

Valuable "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." – Romans 8:38-39

A Simple Practice

I encourage you to sit with one (or more!) of these verses this week. Try replacing the third-person pronouns — "us," "we" — with "me" or "I," and let God's truth speak directly to your heart. It's a small shift in language that can make a big shift in how you hear it.

Setting Down the Trophy

So as the fireworks go off and the candles get blown out this week, my prayer is that you'd set down whatever trophy you've been carrying — the schedule, the checklist, the "mom who never stops" — and rest in the accolades that were never yours to earn in the first place.

If you (or someone you know) is in a season of feeling stretched thin or overwhelmed, my Grace-Filled Postpartum Journal is a tool designed to help you reflect on what truly matters: overall well-being, faith, and the grace God gives you daily. You don't have to do it all. You are already deeply loved, just as you are.

Happy birthday, America. Happy birthday, my sweet twins. And happy Independence Day to you, too — free from having to prove your worth.