Girlfriends in God - Jan. 28, 2009

January 28, 2009 
I’m not_______ enough. 
Sharon Jaynes

Today’s Truth 
“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16 (NIV)

Friend To Friend 
I’m not _____________ enough. You can fill that blank in with smart, talented, gifted, spiritual, or any number of positive attributes, but the root source of each one of those lies is “I’m not good enough.”  It is one of the enemy’s favorite weapons and he uses it to keep God’s children in bondage to feelings of inferiority, insecurity, and inadequacy. The bottom line is that the enemy wants you to believe that you are “not enough.”  Period.  But you are enough. You are enough and have been equipped and empowered to do everything that God has called you to do.

It seems the message of “I’m not good enough to earn my way to heaven on my own,” has been transformed into I’m not good enough … period.   God created man and woman and said, “It is good.”  We are so valuable to God that He gave His only Son to restore our brokenness.

To be honest, I could have been the poster child for this lie.  If feeling inadequate was an Olympic event, I would have been on the Wheaties box. It was the undercurrent of my entire existence until I finally realized who I was in Christ.  Bible teacher Beth Moore said, “In the dead of the night when insecurities crawl on us like fleas, all of us have terrifying bouts of insecurity and panics of insignificance.  Our human natures pitifully fall to the temptation to pull out the tape measure and gauge ourselves against people who seem more gifted and anointed by God.”  That was me.

Many women are living in silent defeat, comparing themselves to other women who are living in secret defeat.  I’m not a good mother.  I’m not a good wife.  I’m not a good Christian.  I’m not a good witness.  I’m not a good housekeeper.  I’m not a good decorator.  I’m not a good cook.  I’m not a good ….  Women are caught in a cycle of the “I’m not good enoughs.”  One by one, the petals fall from the beautiful flower God created us to be.  Like ticker tape, our fragmented pieces of confidence litter the streets like the Macy’s parade passing by.

Unfortunately, I wasted many precious years held captive by the enemy’s lies before I held up my chained hands to God and said, “I’m ready for you to set me free.”

Consider this:

Jacob was a liar.

Moses was a stutterer.

Gideon was a coward.

David was an adulterer.

Rahab was a prostitute.

Esther was an orphan.

Balaam’s donkey was …well, a donkey.

Yet God used each one of them to impact His kingdom. 

God doesn’t call us because we are particularly gifted or talented.  He uses us because we are obedient and dependent on Him.  He doesn’t call the qualified – He qualifies the called.

The truth is, if you have experienced new birth in Christ, when God looks at you, He sees Jesus.  And friend, Jesus is good enough.

Let’s Pray 
Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You today.  Because of Jesus Christ and His work of redemption in me, I am deeply loved, completely forgiven, fully pleasing and totally accepted by You.  Because of Jesus Christ in me, I am equipped and empowered to do all that You have called me to do.  Now, LORD, help me act like it.

In Jesus’ Name, 
Amen

Now It’s Your Turn 
Go back to that first sentence in today’s devotion.  What would you put in that blank?

Is that the truth? 

What do you think God would say to you about what you have written in that blank?

More From The Girlfriends 
Are you ready to begin walking in the truth rather than stumbling over the lies?  Are you ready to begin seeing yourself as God sees you?  Then you’ll want to read Sharon’s new book, I’m Not Good Enough…and Other Lies Women Tell Themselves. Visit her website to read an excerpt. But be warned. This book could change your life!