I want you to pause for a moment and imagine something with me.
Picture your life as a blank canvas. You are the painter, and God hands you a brush. He says, “Paint a picture of your life right now.”
What would it look like? Would it be filled with bright colors or covered in shadows? Would it show joy, peace, and purpose or pain, confusion, and disappointment?
Now ask yourself: Are you really holding the brush? Or have you handed it to someone else?
Too often, we allow others to paint our story. We let people’s opinions, expectations, and judgments define us. But the problem is they can’t see what God sees. They only see through their own broken lens. And when we give away our brush, we give them control over our identity, our choices, and our future.
I had to ask myself, why would I let someone else write my story when God already has? He’s the Author of life (Hebrews 12:2), the One who knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). He calls us His workmanship, His masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10).
But so many of us live beneath that truth. We carry a weight God never asked us to carry, trying to please people, prove our worth, and chase approval. And when things don’t go as planned; the job falls through, the relationship ends, the dream delays, we don’t hear comfort. We hear criticism. We hear lies.
But lies don’t define us. God does.
Take Job, for example. He lost everything: his family, his health, his possessions. His friends assumed it was his fault. His own wife told him to curse God and die (Job 2:9). Imagine if he had listened to them. What if he had handed them the brush?
But Job held on to God. And because of that, his story didn’t end in ashes, it ended in restoration (Job 42:10).
I know what it feels like because I’ve lived it too.
When I was younger, I didn’t understand who I was or what would become of my life. I searched for meaning in people, places, and things, hoping they could define my worth. But all it brought me was emptiness, and some of the loneliest moments of my life.
Still, deep down, I knew there was something different about me. Something only God could reveal.
People who didn’t know me or my story told me I’d never amount to anything. And for a while, I believed them. I could’ve kept living under their labels, running with someone else’s narrative about me. But then God found me. I wasn’t even looking for Him, but He showed up anyway.
And when He did, He started whispering truth over my life. He told me about the plans He had for me. He opened my eyes. He showed me that I was His… that I was chosen. And from that moment on, I knew only God had the right to tell my story.
Here’s the truth: You weren’t made by people. You were made by God. And like any good designer, He knows how you’re supposed to function.
Think about a car. It doesn’t know it’s a car. It relies on its designer and its manual. When something breaks, you don’t just take it anywhere, you take it to the manufacturer or a trained mechanic.
Why would you treat your soul any differently?
God made you. His Word is your manual. His Spirit is your guide. Stop handing your story to people who didn’t create you. Stop chasing approval from those who didn’t call you. God already has.
“You are fearfully and wonderfully made.” – Psalm 139:14
“You are chosen, holy, and dearly loved.” – Colossians 3:12
“You are more than a conqueror through Him who loves you.” – Romans 8:37
People may mean well, but they don’t have the final say. God does. And one of the most beautiful things about Him? He loves you completely, unconditionally, and nothing can change that (Romans 8:38–39).
So today, take back your brush.
Don’t let your life be defined by others. Don’t live stuck in someone else’s version of your story. Let God guide your hand as you paint boldly, brightly, and beautifully.
Even if the road feels dark, He’s still with you. Even if you’ve been waiting for answers, He’s still working. But you won’t see His light if you keep your eyes on the shadows.
Let His truth guide your vision. Let His Word be the paint for your masterpiece.
Because you are His masterpiece. Not because I said so, but because He did.
Let’s Pray
Father, I thank You for every person reading this right now. I pray You’d remind them of who they are in You. Break off every lie they’ve believed. Silence the voices that speak death, and release Your truth that brings life. Show them that their story isn’t over, and that You are still writing it. Give them the courage to take back the brush and let You lead. Thank You for loving us unconditionally, for calling us chosen, and for never leaving us. We trust You with our story.
