This morning, I woke up with my priorities out of order. I found myself debating whether I should attend church or go to the gym. “Maybe I should skip church because I have things to do and just go to the gym—it will only take an hour,” I thought. Yet, church would only require an hour as well. As I weighed my options and began to justify my reasoning, I heard worship music playing in the background, reminding me where I needed to be. So, instead of going to the gym, I went to church.

As my pastor spoke, words that had been spoken over me throughout my life came rushing back: “You’re worthless.” “You’ll be nothing.” I sat there and cried. Then my pastor said, “The words you hear matter.”

In that moment, I realized something. Those words were never true. They were spoken years ago, but they still hurt. They left wounds and shaped how I viewed myself. As I sat there, the tears continued to fall. A pastor came and prayed for me. Shortly after, a woman I had never met approached me and began praying for me. As she prayed in tongues, I was reminded that God saw me in that exact moment. In a room full of people, He made it clear that I was not alone.

When the service ended, I thought, “Clean your face and move on.” But God reminded me that something did happen. The lies were exposed. The wounds were acknowledged. And His truth was louder. Today reminded me that I am not a failure. I am who God says I am.

I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). No weapon formed against me shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17). I am more than a conqueror through Christ (Romans 8:37). The work God is doing in me goes beyond the church walls. Church was not the end of the story—it was the reminder. It was a reminder that God made me with purpose, a reminder that His voice is louder than every lie, and a reminder that what He says about me matters most.

Scripture tells us, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

If you’re reading this and you’ve believed the lies spoken over your life, let this be your reminder: people do not have the authority to determine your worth—God does. The labels people place on you are temporary. The truth of God is eternal.

Keep showing up. Keep praying. Keep trusting. God is still working, even when you don’t see it. Because what God starts in us doesn’t end when we walk out of the church building.