One evening, I was driving home from dinner when my mom played me this song she heard on K-LOVE radio. The song was called “Tell Me” by Carrollton, and the basic message of the lyrics is that even if we feel like we’re nothing, to God we’re everything. Our identity lies in His love, and even on our worst days when we feel like giving up or we’re never going to be good enough, God tells us we’re special, and important, and wonderful, and loved.

In my life, I’ve constantly struggled with the idea of being perfect. The problem with perfection is, aside from Jesus Christ, no one can even come close to being perfect. I have grown up being physically imperfect with a deformity that makes me incomplete, and it hasn’t been an easy thing for me to deal with.

When I was younger, I used to question, “Why did this happen to me?” I used to make light of my situation, always brushing it aside because “someone else has things worse, and I should be thankful that this is all I have to deal with.” It’s true. I was born 10 weeks premature, and the only issues I’ve had are some missing toes, deformed feet, and corrective surgeries. That being said, it hasn’t been a walk in the park.

“Tell Me” begins with these lyrics:

I feel like I’m a nobody, wonder if I’ll ever amount to much
Seems like no matter what I do, it’s never gonna be good enough
Should I just give up?
Lord I need to hear you speak…

I’m sure all of us have felt this at least once in our lives. There have been many times I’ve felt like no one will love me because of my imperfections. There have been times when I’ve felt so lost, and I’ve questioned God, “Why did You give this to me? Why did You think I could handle this?” There have been times I’ve felt like I wasn’t worth it. It’s hard to keep myself from questioning, but even at my lowest points, God still speaks to me. He speaks to me through scripture, through friends, through my own thoughts, and always says the same thing: I’ve created you in My perfect image, and I love you just the way you are.

Psalm 139:14 has become my anthem. “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”

I know God has a purpose for me, just like He has a purpose for us all. I know God gave this to me for a reason. I don’t have to understand why to accept this. Maybe I’ll never know, but that’s not the point. God made me in His image. He formed me to be perfect in His eyes, despite the imperfections I might see. He made me fearfully and wonderfully, and I’m learning to love that about myself. My circumstance does not define me, but God does.

The song goes on:

You tell me I am loved, tell me I am known
And You died for me, I am not alone
You tell me I’m Your child, the one Your heart beats for
I will find my strength knowing I am Yours
You’ve always known what my heart needs and You tell me…

No matter what your situation in life is, even when it might be hard to believe, God has created you perfectly, just the way you are. Who you are is not what you look like or what you do. You are not defined by your job or where you live. Your worth and definition comes from the Creator of the universe. We have been created for something more because each and every one of us is fearfully and wonderfully made.

This article has undergone ministry review and approval.