| The Myth of Being "Good" Enough
All my life I've never felt good enough for anything too long. There's always something that comes along, my parents, my friends, television, other more talented people, and I allow them to tell me whether directly or indirectly that I'm not good enough for love, not good enough to do the things I would like to do. This discourages me, and I go into a habit of trying to find acceptance in whoever would tell me I'm great.
So then I go to the church, and guess what? I'm not good enough there either. It's always something that I'm doing wrong, or not good enough, or something I need to change about my heart. Or something that "prevents" me from being used by God. Something I'm holding on to that prevents me from God's work in my life. As if it's just a black and white. Either I'm good enough, or I'm not. If I ever am, there's something else that makes me not good enough for God.
And it's discouraging, really. Not only am I not good enough for this world, I can't even find that I'm good enough for God. So where'd I go wrong?
The truth is that we really are not "good" enough for God. Wait, isn't that the myth? Nope. The myth is that "we" really are not good enough for God. What the?
Here's the deal: You will never be "good" enough for God! That's true! How could you ever dare to say, "I'm 'good' enough for God?" You have nothing 'good' enough to present Him!
However, WE are good enough for God. Yes, that's right -- you matter to God. You are valuable, more than valuable to Him. He died not for a perfect person, but for one who desperately needed Him. And He wants YOU and all of you, not "good" enough and all.
Anytime you feel like you should ever be good enough, strong enough, or wise enough to serve the Lord, remember 1 Corinthians 1:
26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
The point is, start today. Don't wait until you "get it right". You're just going to miss out on God using you, as it says here in these verses. God wants not just you but your weaknesses. Don't ask God to use just your strengths but more your weaknesses. Your strengths will be automatic when you serve God anyway.
It's our weaknesses that we reserve to ourselves and hope nobody finds out, or that God just removes. But it's our WEAKNESSES that God loves to use and work with! It brings Him glory. When we do this, we align ourselves with God's will for our lives. Don't think that you can only bring God your best. He wants your worst if you would sincerely offer it up to Him.
People always tell you, "well don't serve God with just half, give Him everything." So we interpret that to mean, I must give God the 'best' me. The 'full, complete, great package' me. I hope His Spirit says something different to you right now. God wants the half-finished, or even 1/100th-finished you. That's how He works. With the foolish, the weak, the unwise, the uninfluential, the lowly, the despised.
The truth is, God does want half. Or even just a small fraction. It's your heart that you must give fully. So don't wait to be "good" enough. And when you see yourself used greatly for your willingness, boast in the Lord again and again.
- Steve |
