When I was the new person in the group, she warmly greeted me. She asked draw-out-the-heart questions with seek-to-understand listening ears. Lena has always stood out to me. Her heart is tender towards God, open to His teaching, and beautifully brave to follow Him where He leads. She is a welcome dose of sunshine in this world.
In typical Lena-Aimee fashion, a recent talk quickly dived into deep waters. Lena shared how she was feeling discouraged. I asked, “Are you doubting your ability to do the task? Are you doubting your talents?”
Lena responded, “Yes, actually.”
What I didn’t mention about my sweet, sunshine-giving friend is that she is intelligent, a fast learner, and talented. God’s beautiful image-bearer doubted her God-given talents and ability. First I encouraged her, which was easy because she is an AMAZING reflection of Him. Then, anger welled up inside of me because I’m SICK. I’m SO SICK of this lie, “You’re not enough.” You may have heard it stated different ways:
“You don’t have what it takes.”
“You are too weak.”
“You are stupid.”
“You aren’t talented enough.”
“You have nothing of real value to offer.”
“You are not worthy.”
“You are unloveable.”
This lie, “You’re not enough,” is communicated through unrealistic images of beauty, perfectionistic and unattainable standards of behavior, demeaning and emotionally damaging words, demoralizing labels, unhealthy role models, broken relationships, and in extreme cases, physical harm. We are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). Woven into the core of our being is powerful PURPOSE, yet this lie threatens to distract us, to immobilize us, from becoming the women God created us to be and living out His calling in our lives.
For me, the lie took root in my heart early in life. Shortly after my 13th birthday, I found myself spiraling downward, landing in a deep pit of confusion, fear, hopelessness, depression, and unbearable pain. I questioned, “Why was I born?” Without answers, I felt STUCK. Pain piled upon pain when I started dating at 16. Without guidance on how to date, the absence of standards and boundaries to protect me, and weak affirmation of my worth, this message was unintentionally conveyed: “You’re lucky if any guy wants to date you. You are unloveable.”
I dated some great guys along the way. I also dated way too many emotionally unhealthy guys. Their desperate desire to satisfy their own souls’ emptiness screamed, “You’re not enough,” through condescending comparisons to other women and manipulative requests. I married at age 30, which meant I lived through years and years of hearing various voices repeat, “You are not enough.”
Even though God graciously blessed me with an encouraging husband, this lie continues to surface in other settings. It even hijacked my heart for a season. As I sensed God calling me to a “new assignment,” I questioned my talent—my God-given talent. I questioned my strength for the assignment, forgetting “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Feeling STUCK, I became an observer of my life, watching as precious time was lost, God-given talent wasted, and abundant life missed. It was a sobering sample of hell on earth, and it made me SICK of this lie. Are you sick of it, too?
* Where have you heard/seen the message, “You are not enough,” communicated in your life?
* Which statement(s) best describe you today:
a) I’m not aware this lie is around me.
b) I haven’t been overly impacted by this lie.
c) I’m actively guarding myself against this lie.
d) I believe a small part of this lie.
e) I feel discouraged by this lie.
f) My heart has been deeply hurt by this lie.
g) I feel STUCK by this lie.
God’s Word provides the perspective needed to Shake Up the Belief “You are not enough.”
Perspective > God’s voice matters most.
A man’s opinion of you is NOT your identity. A woman’s opinion of you is NOT your identity. Your peers’ thoughts about you are NOT your identity. When people think highly of you, that is NOT your identity. Your own thoughts about yourself can lead you astray.
Your Creator is the only One who has the power to define you. He knows what you are made of, what you are capable of, and the destiny before you!
“For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.”
-Psalm 139:13-16
Perspective > God created us with powerful PURPOSE.
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” -Genesis 1:27
We were made to glorify God and enjoy Him forever! God formed us in His likeness with the ability to enjoy deep relationship with Him. No other creation has this extraordinary privilege to know the Holy God of the Universe! God created us to be like Him in the world, bearing His image to others, honoring Him, and modeling how others can know Him. No other creation has the potential we have to glorify God, making an eternal difference in the world!
Perspective > Woman has a beautiful DESIGN.
“But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to man” (Genesis 2:20b-22).
From the shining sun to deep sea creatures, from flying birds to grazing livestock, God created the world with His words. From the dust of the ground, He formed Man. From existing life, God made Woman. After kindly sending Adam to dreamland, He gently opened his flesh, carefully removed a rib, and then delicately re-connected flesh. He brought His beautiful vision into reality starting from the sturdy rib and skillfully knitting an attractive, curvy frame and designing a soul with His loving likeness. After Woman was created, God looked at all creation and gave it His highest praise yet, proclaiming it “very good.” (Genesis 1:31).
By weaving His characteristics into Man and Woman, God formed a glorious picture of Himself. Man’s rugged physical frame and roles as husband, father, and ruler of creation display God’s bolder attributes, such as His authority, leadership, strength, protection, and provision. God completed His self-portrait by designing Woman to showcase His softer attributes. Woman’s curvy physical frame and roles of wife or “helper fit,” creation co-ruler, and mother highlight God’s gracious, gentle, caring, nurturing, and supportive qualities. She is a charming complement to Man.
Perspective > What do you see?
God created Woman with a SOLID IDENTITY full of powerful PURPOSE, beautiful DESIGN, and world-changing POTENTIAL. When you think of Eve, do you see the beautiful vision in God’s mind when He created her or the apple in her hand?
Eve was the first woman to feel STUCK. When she and Adam indulged in an apple-bite, they lost sight of the Holy Creator they were meant to glorify and enjoy forever. They saw themselves differently. “Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths” (Genesis 3:7). They viewed their relationship with God differently, attempting to hide from Him.
Apart from God, Man and Woman were not enough. Apart from God, we are not enough. Thankfully, God likes to Shake Things Up!
Perspective > God sees our souls.
Our Creator saw His sons and daughters STUCK in sin. He looked beyond our perilous predicament and into our souls. He remembered skillfully and mightily breathing life into His sons. He remembered skillfully and gently knitting together His daughters.
When no one else sees our worth, remember God sees His imprint on our souls—the powerful PURPOSE, the rugged DESIGN of His sons, the beautiful DESIGN of His daughters, and our world-changing POTENTIAL.
He graciously sent His Perfect Son to die for our sins, rescuing us from STUCK to SALVATION. We are forgiven, free, and re-united with our loving Creator—the One who defines us as worthy in His eyes and who walks with us.
United with Him,
“You are enough”
because He is more than enough.
In Christ, “Strength and dignity are {your} clothing…” (Proverbs 31:25).
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” -Ephesians 2:8-10
In the next blog: This little blog can’t cover all of the incredible aspects of our identity, so we’ll continue on this topic next week!
Until we meet again, be alert to the voices and visuals you encounter which carry the message, “You are not enough.” When no one else sees your worth, remember God sees His imprint on your soul!
Pray it!
Here’s an ECHO prayer, which is repeating God’s Word back to Him as a prayer.
Dear God,
Thank You that “{You} created man in {Your} own image, male and female {You} created {us}” (Genesis 1:27). Help me to fully believe that You made me with powerful PURPOSE, beautiful DESIGN, and world-changing POTENTIAL. “For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well.” -Psalm 139:13-14
Thank You “for giving me a spirit NOT of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7). Take my fear, and turn it into faith. When I am fearful, remind me that I am the beautiful, beloved daughter of the all-powerful God of the universe.
“By grace {I} have been saved through faith. And this is not {my} own doing; it is the gift {from You}, not a result of works, so that {I} may boast. For {I am Your} workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which You prepared beforehand, that {I} should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-10). May I always look to You to lead me forward and to empower me to make Your love known in the world.
In Jesus’ saving name,
Amen.
*To learn how to Echo God’s Word yourself, check out the previous blog, “ECHO: How to Pray When You Don’t Have the Words.”
