SOAR Teen & Young Adult Christian Magazine

Author and singer Dr. Naima Johnston (now Dr. Naima Johnston-Bush after she got married a while back) spoke to us previously on Dream in Soul about how to find and follow your calling (click here for the two-part interview). In this Heart to Heart she speaks about how she learned to trust in God as a young woman and gives advice on embracing your identity in Christ:

I became a Christian in an interesting way. My mother became a Christian when I was a teenager – and that made for interesting times between us. I was so rude and so angry that I wasn’t hearing a thing she had to say. I couldn’t understand this Jesus that she was talking about, but she kept praying for me and witnessing to me and loving me.

I got involved with this guy, and it was not a good situation. He actually was emotionally and on one occasion physically abusive. Because I didn’t love myself, because I thought I was worth nothing, because I really believed that no one would ever love me, I let him do whatever he wanted to do and treat me any kind of way.

One day we got into an argument about what we were going to listen to on the car radio. He told me that he would kill me, hide my body, and no one would ever find me. I knew he meant it. I knew that there had to be more to life then this. That night I prayed and said “God, there has got to be more to life then this…”

Although it wasn’t an instantaneous transition, I found myself wanting to break away and build a relationship with God. The guy would leave and then come back and once when he left I wound up going to church with a friend. I gave my heart to the Lord at New Covenant Believers’ Church in Columbus, Ohio and then I was able to walk away from that relationship and to begin to build a true intimate relationship with Christ.

The first thing girls need to do is understand who they are in Christ. If you see yourself how God sees you it’s a lot easier to maintain healthy self esteem and to avoid compromise. So many girls today have no idea how valuable they are, how beautiful and special they are. If they truly knew how much they were worth, they would never believe the lies that they were not good enough, or not pretty enough, or needed to sleep with somebody to find love.

If you want the ability to see yourself as God sees you, then you need to spend time with Him, praying and reading His word. Talk to Him like you talk to your friends, tell Him the truth, the struggles, the temptations, how you really feel. He’s a big God, He knows it all anyway and can handle everything you have to say.

Start looking in your Bible and reading and learning scriptures that talk about how God sees you. It’s your relationship with Jesus that gives you the power to overcome peer pressure and sets you up for success. It also will raise your self esteem and give you the ability to see yourself through the eyes of Christ.

Some Verses to Encourage You
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. – John 1:12

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. – 1 Peter 2:9

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38-39

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17

Click here for our previous interview with Dr. Johnston: Called to Sing.

For more information about Dr. Johnston visit her at www.naimajohnston.com.

Dr. Johnston is a licensed minister of the gospel through the International City of Refuge Christian Ministries. She holds a PhD in Education from The Ohio State University and preaches and teaches at various churches, women’s groups, colleges, youth, and community entities.

As an educator Dr. Johnston empowers people to accomplish their destiny and discover their purpose through seminars, workshops, life coaching, conferences and training programs that she designs.

A gifted writer, Dr. Johnston’s written work has appeared in numerous Christian magazines, anthologies, and newspapers. She is the author of Dr. Nay’s Random Recovery Life Lessons and Called To Sing: 13 Mistakes To Avoid When Starting Out In Music Ministry.

Listen to some of Dr. Naima’s inspiring music below:

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