When You Feel You’re Not Good Enough {and giveaway!}

I’m excited to welcome my friend Sharon Jaynes to the blog today with such an important message for us about being enough. If you’re blessed by what you read here today, be sure to check out her newest book Enough.

I was alone, or at least I felt that way. Women huddled in happy clusters chatting about first one thing and then another. Some propped babies on their hips. Others clutched Bibles in their hands. Most wore smiles on their faces. I wore one too. But it wasn’t a reflection of what was in my heart. The upturned lips were simply the camouflage I wore to blend in–to avoid being found out. What I really wanted to do was run and hide. 

On the outside I was a well-put-together church mom with trendy shoes and snappy jeans, but on the inside I was a little girl cowering in the far recesses of the playground hoping no one would notice my reluctance to join in. Once again, that nagging feeling tugged at my heart: I’m just not good enough. 

“I’m not ___________ enough.” You can fill in that blank with smart, talented, gifted, spiritual, outgoing, attractive, or any number of positive attributes.  But the root source of each one of those blanks is rooted in “I’m not good enough.” Period.

It’s one of the Enemy’s favorite deceptions to hold God’s children hostage to a life that is “less than.” “I’m not good enough” is an insidious lie that keeps God’s best at bay for many of His children.

The Enemy tries to get us to focus on our flaws rather than on our faith.

When we focus on our faults, we take our focus off God, who equips us; the Holy Spirit, who empowers us; and Jesus, who envelops us.

The Bible does say no one is good enough to earn his or her way into heaven (Romans 3:23). Salvation is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). However, many have taken the truth that they are not good enough to earn their way to heaven and transferred it to “I’m not good enough—period.” But through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, and His power working in you and through you, you are good enough to do everything God has called you to do and be.

One of the most important names for God is YHWH, or I AM. When we say, “I’m not good enough. God says “I AM.” When we say “I’m not strong enough.” God says, “I AM.” When we say, I’m not enough. God says, “I AM.” He is the God who fills in our blanks.

I’ll go out on a limb and say that every single one of us, at one time or another, will struggle with feelings of inferiority, insecurity, and inadequacy just like Moses did.

And the underlying statement feeding the sense of worthlessness is “I’m not __________ enough.”

You can fill that blank in with any number of qualities.

I’m not strong enough.

I’m not experienced enough.

I’m not talented enough.

I’m not brave enough.

I’m not pretty enough.

I’m not thin enough.

But here’s what I want you to remember:

Whatever you feel you are not, God is. Whatever you need, God is. He is the God who fills in your gaps;

He is I AM who fills in your blanks.

Here’s what I want you to do. As you go about your day, I challenge you to “spot the nots” in your self-assessment. Sleuth for the “I am nots” in your thoughts and in your speech.

For example, look out for words spoken or thoughts such as I’m not smart enough; I’m not pretty enough; I’m not good enough. Then once you “spot the not,” “swat the not.” That’s right. Swat it right out of your vocabulary. Here’s the deal: Whenever you say, “I’m not _____ enough,” God says, “I AM.” 

Here are three steps for replacing the lies with the truth in your life.

Recognize the lie: I’m not good enough.

Reject the lie: That’s not true.

Replace the lie with truth:  His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires (2 Peter 1:3-4). 

 

Sharon Jaynes is an international inspirational speaker and a Bible teacher for women’s conferences and events. She is also the author of several books, including Becoming the Woman of His Dreams and The Power of a Woman’s Words. She and her husband call North Carolina home.

The Giveaway

 

Share this post with 5 or more people, then leave a comment that says, “I did it!” We will randomly pick one comment to win a FREE ENOUGH BRACELET made by the ladies of Fashion and Compassion.