Are You Known By Your Kindness or Your Qualifications? - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - July 31, 2025
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35, NIV).
For the last month, my husband and I have walked through a devastating season. We lost a dear friend to cancer, I was rejected by my seventeenth publisher, and our mold renovation was going to cost triple the amount we originally anticipated. To top it off, I was told that my writing was good, but I still wasn’t experienced or credentialed enough to traditionally publish a book—talk about a slap in the face. And yet, this got me thinking:
Are we known by our kindness or our credentials? Are we known by what we say or what we do? Are we known for who we think we are, or who God says we are? Are we known by our striving or our peace? Are we known by our trust or our doubt? I have to wonder if you’ve wrestled with any similar questions.
Though kindness is one of the fruits of the Spirit, it can also overflow from the others: things like love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, and self-control all, in a sense, can reflect acts of kindness within us. Bob Goff, author of Love Does, says it this way: “It will be our kindness, not our qualifications, that outlast us.”
Over the last few months, I’ve felt the Lord speaking a compelling message over my heart, and that’s this: “Amber, I have called you to share your message. You may not know what all that will entail, but I’ve called you. I’ve called you, not your credentials.”
Friends, credentials can be an important part of our careers (if God calls you to something that requires them), but your credentials aren’t your identity. Passages like John 1:12, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 1:5, and Galatians 3:28 all point to the true source of our identity. But you know what they don’t say? They don’t say that we need to have a PhD, LPC, or Master's to make a difference.
According to Christ, we’ve been made in His image, regardless of what we do. Genesis 1:27 says it this way: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (ESV). 2 Corinthians 5:17 furthers this point: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (ESV).
In Christ (and not ourselves), we are chosen, loved, and called to excellency (1 Peter 2:9). We aren’t called to prove ourselves or our worth. We aren’t called to question our calling. We aren’t even called to be something we aren’t. But you know what we are called to do? We’re called to be kind and to be known by that kindness. Your kindness will outlast every degree or credential to your name. That doesn’t make it less important; rather, it makes your mission that more crucial.
Whether people know who you are or not, if you’re a Christian, you are created to do good works in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:10). No one can take that away from you, and no one can add anything of eternal value to it. Why? Because Jesus already gave us eternity through His death on the cross.
Jesus didn’t have credentials. He wasn’t known for his PhD or Master's in Theology. And yet, He was closer to God than anyone. Not only that, but God formed Him in His image and sent Him in the form of a lowly, humble servant, born in a stable.
Before He died on the cross, He spent thirty years living life. He was a carpenter by trade, and a son. Still, God called Him to die for us in kindness, perhaps to teach us that we’re not to be known by our qualifications, but by how we treat others and represent the Lord through those actions.
Let's pray:
Dear God, in a world that praises labels and positions, help us to remember that our true identity comes from you alone. When we’re rejected, beaten down, confused, and isolated, help us look to you. The identity you give us, and the kindness we show to others, far surpass any credentials we could ever uphold. So let us be known not by what we do, Lord, but to whom we belong, and whose we are. We love, praise, and thank you, Jesus. Amen.
Agape, Amber
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/SDI Productions
Related Resource: Soft Words for Hard Days: A Conversation with Aundi Kolber
Some days feel heavy. Some moments leave us wondering how to keep going. If you’ve ever longed for encouragement amid life’s hardest moments, I have a special episode of The Love Offering for you. This week, I’m joined by therapist and bestselling author Aundi Kolber to discuss her latest book, Take What You Need: Soft Words for Hard Days. This beautiful collection of quotes, scriptures, prayers, and gentle exercises is designed to be a balm for your most tender places—a reminder that you are never alone on your journey to healing.
In our conversation, we explore:
✨ How to hold space for yourself and others in difficult seasons
✨ The power of compassionate words when life feels overwhelming
✨ Practical ways to embrace healing and take one more step forward
If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to The Love Offering on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
