My Life Is Not My Own

The words came softly, yet with striking certainty. A friend, long-suffering from chronic illness, described the grueling years of pain, failed treatments, and isolation that had carved deep grooves into her days. I asked her hesitantly how she managed to cling to the goodness of God through it all.

Her eyes brightened with a quiet resolve. “I know that I’m not my own,” she said, “but belong body and soul, in life and in death to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.”

That simple declaration, quoted from the first line of the Heidelberg Catechism, echoed through my spirit. In a world that screams for autonomy and self-definition, this ancient confession offers something profoundly different: comfort not in control, but in surrender. Assurance not in ownership, but in belonging.

The Heidelberg Anchor

Drafted in 1563 during a turbulent time of theological division, the Heidelberg Catechism was meant to unite and instruct Reformed Christians. While its full text spans 129 questions organized for weekly reflection, its very first question captures the heart of the Christian life:

Q1: What is your only comfort in life and in death?
That I am not my own, but belong body and soul, in life and in death to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.

It’s a truth that has steadied believers for centuries. It’s not a vague, feel-good comfort like warm tea or a kind word but a certainty rooted in Christ’s redeeming work. The German word used in the original catechism, trost, doesn’t merely suggest coziness. It communicates trust, assurance, even strength.

This comfort is not about escaping hardship, but knowing who holds us fast when it comes. It’s a bold, defiant peace one that declares, I am Christ’s, no matter what the storm.

More Than Words

What does it mean to say, “I am not my own”?

It means that our identity isn’t built on how we feel or what we achieve. In a culture obsessed with self-ownership "be your true self," "follow your heart," "write your own story" this ancient creed cuts against the grain. Scripture reminds us:

“You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20)

We belong to Christ. Every heartbeat. Every breath. Every tear. Every joy. Our lives are not our canvas to paint, but His workmanship, created for good works (Ephesians 2:10).

The world sees ownership as empowerment. The gospel sees ownership as grace. To belong to Jesus is to know peace that cannot be stolen, joy that doesn’t depend on circumstances, and a purpose greater than self-fulfillment.

Life and Death

The Heidelberg Catechism grounds our comfort in the unshakable reality of what Christ has done:

“He has fully paid for all my sins with His precious blood and has delivered me from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven.”

This is not poetic optimism. It is doctrinal certainty.

• Christ paid it all. There is no sin left to condemn us.

• He watches over us. No trial is wasted.

• He assures us. Eternal life is not a maybe, but a promise sealed by the Spirit.

In life’s darkest valleys the hospital room, the betrayal, the job loss, the graveside this truth holds fast. We are not adrift. We are not alone. We are not our own.

When Autonomy Fails

The modern world tells us that freedom means self-rule. But anyone who’s tried to rule themselves knows that autonomy is an exhausting illusion. We chase comfort in money, identity in success, and security in relationships only to find they cannot hold us.

Even our own hearts deceive us:

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

But when we belong to Jesus, we are held by something. Someone unchanging. Our identity is not up for grabs. Our value is not earned. Our future is not uncertain.

Wholehearted Belonging

Belonging to Christ is not only a comfort it’s a calling. The Catechism continues:

“Because I belong to Him, Christ, by His Holy Spirit, also assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for Him.”

Belief leads to transformation. Those who know they are Christ’s live differently. We are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19), adopted children (Romans 8:15), ambassadors of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:20). We are not our own and that changes everything.

John Calvin captured this beautifully:

“We are not our own: let us therefore not seek what is expedient for us according to the flesh. We are God’s: let all the parts of our life accordingly strive toward Him as our only lawful goal.” (Institutes 3.7.1)

When we truly grasp that we are Christ’s body and soul, in life and in death we begin to live with a radical freedom. A freedom not to indulge self, but to serve. A freedom to suffer with hope. A freedom to die, if need be, with joy.

Our Only Comfort

So when the diagnosis comes, when the sorrow cuts deep, when the days feel like too much remember you are not your own.

You belong to the One who laid down His life for you.
You belong to the Shepherd who carries His sheep.
You belong to the King who has conquered death.

That is your only comfort in life and death.

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