You’re not good enough.
Have you ever been told that before? Have you ever told someone else that before? Or more likely, have you ever told yourself that?
It’s a phrase we can’t escape. One that seeps into our everyday lives, within a world that is full of opportunities to compare and judge.
We see Instagram posts of people’s latest and greatest accomplishments and think, “I’m not good enough.” Or we look to our next door neighbor, see them being the dad or mom of the year and think, “I’m not good enough.” Or, we’re at work and someone else gets the promotion we wanted. And in that moment you think, "I’m not good enough and I never will be."
I remember when I first started my job at Eagle Brook. I was a 20-year-old kid whom this wonderful church took a chance on. (I didn’t even know what health insurance was yet. Ha!) I always wanted to prove myself and I strived to do things that would get recognized. Now, those two things aren’t always bad. But, the problem was, it consumed me. I was so focused on what people thought of me that I lost sight of what truly mattered. I was constantly comparing my status at work to others.
This led to me feeling down when I wasn't given opportunities that others were given. Or I would tie my opportunities at work to my self-worth. I would often ask myself questions like, “Why am I not getting that opportunity?” or “How can I really be good enough, if they got that opportunity and I didn’t?” It was rough. I was playing a constant comparison game. It led to feeling insecure and like I truly wasn’t good enough.
The truth is, it wasn’t that I wasn’t good enough. It’s that I thought getting those opportunities would make me good enough.
Here’s the good news: I overcame that season. But it doesn’t mean that I won’t have moments where the phrase “I’m not good enough” comes creeping back in. In fact, I do to this day.
So, how do we overcome this constant lie that we aren’t good enough?
I think a lot of it starts with discovering who we were created by—and beginning to realize that who we are is good enough because God says we are. We may not be good enough for the rest of the world. But to God, we will always be good enough.
Are there things in this life that we could strive to get better at? Of course. There are days when I know I could have done a better job at work or been more present with my family. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t good enough.
Jesus says this, “Come to me all who are weary, and I will give you rest.”
He doesn’t say "Come to me all who are weary, and be better." And He doesn’t say that we'll get a promotion or that we have to figure out all the junk in our lives first. He just says come. And in that moment, Jesus is saying to us, "You are worthy. You’re good enough."
Who you are and the worth you bring isn’t defined by your circumstances. It’s defined by a loving God who created you with a specific purpose. Specific passions and dreams. Specific strengths. A specific and beautiful story. Who you are is defined by a God who gave His life for you and for me.
You are good enough. You may not believe that today and you might have plenty of reasons as to why you believe you aren’t good enough. I know I do.
But maybe today isn’t about jumping from disbelief to belief. Perhaps it’s about taking one step forward toward discovering who God says we are. That we are good enough. That we are each uniquely created by Him, a loving and graceful God. That we are His sons and daughters. That we are redeemed and free. And that we are good enough because of Christ in us.
