Stop Performing. Start Belonging. Remember Who You Really Are.

You’re Not an “Adult of God”—You’re His Child, and That Changes Everything!

Rediscovering Your Identity as a Child of God

Who am I? Why am I here?

Those questions have echoed in my mind more times than I can count—and I know I’m not the only one. The world asks you the same thing every single day.

Your family asks it—the one you were born into and the one you’re raising now. Your job asks it—your boss, your coworkers, even the strangers you pass at the store or sit next to in church. Everyone, in one way or another, is demanding an answer:

Who are you? What are you doing here?

The truth is, you can’t give the right answer unless you ask the One who made you.

Ephesians 1:4-5 (AMPC) reminds us of this unshakable truth:
"Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love. For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will [because it pleased Him and was His kind intent]."

So, who am I?

I am a child of God.

That’s not just a title—it’s my identity. It’s the anchor of my soul. Yes, I wear many hats—wife, pastor, friend, HR leader, coach—but none of those define me. Who I am matters more than what I do.

That wasn’t always my truth. For years, I believed my worth was tied to my performance—what I could do, how well I could do it, and how others responded to it. If I didn’t show up perfectly, I believed I wasn’t enough.

But God stepped into my story and interrupted all of that. He spoke directly to my heart and said, “I didn’t create you to perform for My love. I created you to belong to Me.”

That truth shifted everything.

Now, I know—if I never achieve another title, if I never fill another role, even if no one ever applauds my efforts again, I know this: I am still His child. And being His child is enough.

The Beauty of Being a Child of God

Let’s be real—adulting is hard. We joke about wanting to go back to being carefree kids again, but here’s the good news: with God, we never have to outgrow childhood.

We will never be “adults of God.” We are always children of God.

That means when we’re exhausted, we can crawl into our Father’s lap and just rest. We get to see ourselves through His eyes—loved, chosen, enough. We don’t have to perform. We don’t have to prove. We just get to be. And in that being, we are fully loved.

This childlike posture is where freedom lives. It keeps us inquisitive, playful, and lighthearted. When God gives us an assignment, we don’t have to overthink it. We get to play with our Father—joining Him in His work with wide-eyed wonder and joy.

It’s the beauty of childlike faith, where trusting comes naturally because we know we are safe in His hands.

The Cost of Forgetting Who We Are

But what happens when we reject that identity? When we try to “adult” our way through faith, we end up carrying weight we were never meant to bear.

Here’s what that looks like:

✅ We rely on ourselves instead of God.
We hustle, strive, and shoulder burdens we were never built to carry. It leaves us stressed, anxious, and spiritually worn out.

✅ We struggle to trust Him.
A child instinctively trusts their parent, but when we act like self-sufficient adults, we hesitate to lean on God. That hesitation blocks us from experiencing His provision, guidance, and miracles.

✅ We question our worth.
When we believe love must be earned, we struggle to receive God’s unconditional love. We live guarded, performing for approval instead of resting in grace.

✅ We lose the wonder.
Children turn cardboard boxes into castles and rockets. They believe in the impossible without needing all the details. That bold, imaginative faith is how God designed us to live—with curiosity, creativity, and fearlessness.

A Picture That Stuck with Me

I remember seeing a video of a family wearing VR headsets. In the simulation, they had to walk across a beam suspended high above the ground, once they got to the end, they were supposed to jump across a gap onto another beam. The adults were terrified—nervous, hesitant, overthinking every step.

Then a child put on the headset, saw the same scene—quickly walked across and just leapt. No fear. No hesitation. Just trust.

That moment grabbed my heart. I heard the Lord whisper: Tonja, stop trying to be all the things. Just be My child.

Returning to Childlike Faith

God calls us back to this place of trust, dependence, and openness. He never asked us to carry life alone. His invitation has always been simple: “Be My child.”

Jesus said it best in Matthew 18:3:
"Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

This isn’t about immaturity—it’s about intimacy. It’s about fully trusting, fully loving, and fully depending on our Father.

So, how will you answer the question? Who are you?

Let’s Heal What’s Blocking That Trust

If seeing yourself as God’s beloved child feels hard or even impossible, you’re not alone. It doesn’t mean you’re broken—it means there are wounds that need healing.

Ask yourself:
💛 When was the last time I let myself just be loved—without proving, performing, or earning?

💛 What experiences made me feel like love had to be earned in the first place?

This is the heart work God invites us into. Healing those wounds clears the way for us to live as fully embraced, deeply loved children of God.

That’s why I’m passionate about Heart Healing. Through intentional healing sessions, we can uncover and release the emotional and spiritual barriers keeping you from stepping into this childlike freedom.

If you’re ready to trade striving for resting, performing for belonging, and fear for trust—I’d love to walk that healing journey with you. Let’s restore your identity together.

Because you were never meant to figure it all out alone. You were always meant to live as a cherished, chosen, and fully embraced child of God.