Identity

The reaction to the recent Supreme Court decision allowing states to require athletes to compete based on their biological sex has been revealing.

Much of the public conversation has been framed as though children have somehow been stripped of their rights or forbidden from participating in sports. But perhaps the more heartbreaking question is one we rarely ask:

How did we reach the point where we believe telling a child they were wonderfully made is less loving than telling them they may need to become someone else?

Scripture begins with a foundational truth:

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27, NKJV)

David would later celebrate the intentional design of God:

“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14, NKJV)

Our culture increasingly tells confused and hurting children that the answer to their struggle is to redefine themselves. The gospel tells us something far different. It tells us that our identity is ultimately found in Christ, not in our feelings, our desires, or even our struggles. Every one of us has desires and experiences affected by living in a fallen world. The answer has never been self-definition but surrender to the One who created us.

That does not mean we dismiss or mock children who wrestle with these questions. Quite the opposite.

The Church should be the safest place in the world for a child who is confused, hurting, or searching for answers. They deserve patient conversations, compassionate adults, faithful parents, biblical truth, wise counseling, and unconditional love. They should never be treated as enemies or as political talking points.

But loving someone also means refusing to affirm something we believe is ultimately harmful.

It seems inconsistent that our society believes a young person is not mature enough to purchase tobacco, buy alcohol, own a handgun, or make countless other permanent legal decisions, yet some argue they are prepared to make irreversible choices that may affect the rest of their lives physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Children deserve time to grow. They deserve protection. They deserve guidance. They deserve adults who love them enough to walk patiently with them rather than rushing them toward life-altering decisions.

As followers of Christ, we can hold two truths together:

We will stand on God’s design for humanity without apology.

And we will love every child without exception.

“Speaking the truth in love…” (Ephesians 4:15) is not a contradiction. It is the calling of every believer.

May we be a people who defend truth with humility, extend grace without compromise, and remind every young person that their value does not come from changing who they are, but from the God who created them, knows them, and demonstrated their worth at the cross.