I grew up in a religious environment. As a young person I drew my sense of worth from being good, or at least being seen as good. I lived in fear of being seen as bad, so I worked hard to gain the approval of my parents and those around me. 

Still I felt powerless against the evil desires in my heart. What I didn’t realize was that by focusing on “being good”, I wasn’t leaving any room for Jesus to be the healer of my soul.

Thankfully, through reading the Bible and interacting with Christians, I realized that Jesus has already paid for every wrong I have done and ever will do. So, I don’t have to be afraid of looking bad.... I still struggle with wanting to appear better than I am. But each time Jesus reminds me to trust in His goodness. My worth doesn’t come from what I do, but from what he has already done for me.