Post written by Amber Picota and originally posted on her Substack: HERE

This might be an unpopular opinion, but I believe that religion (especially high-control religion) robs people of their identity. Each of us were created uniquely, in the image of God. We are all image bearers, yet we are diverse – both in appearance and in personality.

It’s unfortunate that a handful of verses are misused, and used to manipulate people into trying to become someone they’re not.

He must increase and I must decrease. – John 3:30

I bet you’ve heard that verse preached in a way that made you feel like you couldn’t really be yourself, and that you needed to try to be less, take up less space, and deny your individuality. But that’s not at all what is being said in this verse. Not even remotely close.

This was written by John the Baptist, who was a forerunner for Jesus. In fact, you really need to start reading at least as early as verse 22 to get a good idea of what is going on here. Jesus had just begun his public ministry, and people were coming to John asking questions like, “Hey what do you think about this other guy? He’s baptizing people too!”

They came to John and said, “Rabbi, look! The man who was with you across the Jordan, the one about whom you testified, is baptizing and everyone is flocking to him.” – John 3:26

John is saying that his ministry is decreasing because Jesus the Messiah is here and his ministry is increasing.

You can read the rest at Amber’s Substack at this LINK.

If you grew up in the Christian church, there’s a good chance your background is a lot like mine, especially if your denomination was very legalistic or controlling with what people could or couldn’t do. If you are now in the process of finally discovering the you that God created you to be, you are not alone. So am I.

You are invited to a free live event, on February 6th at 4PM Eastern, hosted by Quoir Academy. At this live webinar, Who Am I? Discovering Yourself After Toxic Religion, I’ll be equipping you with tools for rediscovering yourself, discussing emotional healing, and boundaries. This event is free, but you must register to attend. If you are busy at the time of the live airing, register anyways because you will receive an email with the replay link to watch at your convenience.

This webinar will be an amazing resource for those of us who are only now discovering who we are, after being raised in a high control religion environment.