Remembering Who You Are: Living Beyond Judgment

He who is Love (cf. 1 John 4:16)

Life has a way of labeling us. Sometimes it’s what’s written on paper—a criminal record, a past mistake, or a chapter of our story we’d rather not be defined by. Other times it’s the judgments of people around us—family, friends, or even those who claim to walk closely with God. They see our failures and forget our humanity. They forget that every one of us stumbles.

But here’s the truth: you are more than your mistakes, and you are more than what others say about you.

Yes, we all fall short. We all have moments that we wish we could rewrite. And while the world may try to hold us in those moments forever, God does not. Scripture reminds us again and again that His love is greater than our failures. He doesn’t measure us by the worst thing we’ve done but by His grace, which is freely given when we let Him into even the messiest parts of our lives.

Think of Peter—who denied Christ three times—or the thief on the cross, who met Jesus at the very bottom of his life. Neither was rejected by God. Instead, they were embraced and lifted. Jesus didn’t turn His back on Peter’s weakness or the thief’s crimes. Instead, He met them there, washed them clean, and offered them life beyond what anyone else believed they deserved.

That’s what makes faith so powerful. People may cling to judgment, even religious people who should know better. They may refuse to forgive, refuse to let you move forward. And that’s okay. You don’t need their permission to keep living. Only God knows the depth of your heart, the sincerity of your repentance, and the path He is guiding you on.

So don’t let the weight of someone else’s opinion keep you stuck. You are not bound by their perspective. You are loved more than your mistakes. You are seen for more than your past. You are still being written into God’s story every single day.

Keep walking. Keep living. Keep remembering who you are—not what others say, but who God says you are: forgiven, loved, and guided.

Because at the end of the day, people may hold onto your past, but God holds onto your future.