Who are You…Really? | Lent Devotional Day 15

Exploring the Meaning of Jesus’ Death
March 4, 2026
Written by Dave Merrill

Who are you…really?

Scripture:

There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear expects punishment. The person who is afraid has not been made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18)

Reflection:

The Moral Influence view speaks especially to shame, fear, and estrangement. It names how easily we come to believe we are only lovable when we perform well or obey perfectly. It recognizes that many of us have learned to follow God out of fear rather than trust. This framework invites us to see that our deepest problem is not merely rule-breaking, but forgetting that we are loved.

The harder I find myself working to earn love, I become less in tune with a God of love. When I curate the perfect post, present a cleaner version of myself in CoreGroup, or say “I’m okay” when I’m not, I am often trying to save face. But all of those attempts at self-preservation actually hide from me the true depths of God’s grace. They keep me managing an image instead of receiving love.

It is only when I am honest about who I am, not who I think I should be, that fear begins to lose its grip. When I stop performing and start telling the truth, I discover that God’s love has not moved an inch. In that honesty, shame softens, fear is cast out, and grace becomes real rather than theoretical. It is here, and here only, that I begin to live not out of anxiety, but out of gratitude.

Prayer:

God, I confess that I’m tempted to believe that I’m not enough to deserve you. May your love release me from the urge to work harder to please you. May the overflow of my heart find its way to my mind and allow me to rest in your complete satisfaction with who I am because of Christ. Amen.

Reflection Question:

Where in my life am I still presenting who I think I should be in place of who I really am?

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