Have you ever stood amongst a group of people and felt utterly inadequate? Like the list of accomplishments, awards, and initials following their names seemed daunting to your single name with zero awards?
Well, that was me recently.
I found myself in a circle of bloggers who’ve been writing for years, have tens of thousands of email subscribers, some have book deals and others have had posts go viral. I thought to myself, “Why am I even here?” At that moment I felt inadequate and like a fraud. I wondered why I was asked to join this group when clearly I’m not on the same playing field as them. I started to only see all the ways I didn’t measure up and what separated me from them. It was like I threw all the hours of hard work I’ve put into writing and learning and the amazing opportunities that have come my way out the window.
Don’t we all do that from time to time? We see others in the same line of work and wonder if we’ll ever be as good as them or succeed as much as they have. We see everything they’re doing right and only see what we’re doing wrong. We start the ugly habit of comparing ourselves to others and wonder what we’re doing wrong if someone is achieving more at a faster pace. Then, we allow ourselves to become trapped by our feelings of inadequacy and stop ourselves from living a life that glorifies God.
Read this: If you never feel good enough
When we become trapped we falsely believe that everyone else’s possessions and achievements are far greater than our own. We stop seeing the blessings God has given us and our vision becomes clouded with our selfish wants. It’s great to see others who are succeeding and doing what you want to do because we can learn from them. We can take their work as examples and apply it to our own life as an encouragement to continue working hard. Christ wants us to encourage and be encouraged by the lives of others where Satan wants us to feel hopeless, worthless, and never good enough.
If you struggle with feeling you’re not good enough I want to gently encourage you to stop looking at everyone around you and wishing you could be more, do more, or have more.
Instead, look up.
Place your eyes on Jesus and His word. Digging deep into His word will fill you with great confidence in who Christ is and who you are in Him.
Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Before you were conceived your life was created for a purpose. You’re God’s beautiful creation. Don’t become discouraged by your weaknesses or shortcomings. Don’t allow the success of others create insecurity in your own work. Instead, find God’s greatness in your strengths. The gifts you’re given in life are given for a reason: to give God glory and to encourage others into a relationship with Him. Your confidence is found in Jesus and He has already determined your worth.
Maybe you don’t feel inadequate from the success of others but you feel the choices of your past compared to theirs are not pure enough or holy enough to live life like them. You feel dirty because of the situations you’ve allowed yourself to walk in. You hear testimonies from people living a pure life and you feel like you’re anything but pure. You worry that you’ll never get over your past. You fear others won’t love you when they hear about your former life. You struggle thinking you could never lead a ministry, help others, get married, or really go after your dreams once people find out who you “really are.”
Sweet friends, let me share with you who you really are.
Romans 8:39 says, “Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
You are so loved. You are so loved. That is one phrase you can never hear enough. Nothing you will ever do will stop the love the Lord has for you. Even in your weakest moments where you feel inadequate, you’re loved and seen as worthy and perfection. Everything you could ever need to feel whole, loved, healed, and forgiven is found in Christ and Him alone. You are handpicked and intricately designed by hand- like the most beautiful bouquet of flowers you’ve ever seen.
You are more than any initial or award that could ever be attached to your name. You’re not less than because of your past. You’re not trapped by uncertain circumstances. You’re not “not lucky enough” to have the success and opportunities you dream of.
The one title that you are given and the only title that matters is you are the child of King Jesus. That title alone makes you worthy, whole, healed, forgiven, and valuable. That title alone makes you more than enough.
Now read this: Renewing your thoughts for a more joyful life
This post originally appeared on HeatherMargiotta.com and was republished with permission.
Heather Margiotta is a Christian Writer and Speaker from northeast Ohio. She is a wife to a loving husband and a mother to two handsome sons. She received a bachelors degree in Theology and writes about her faith, adoption, relationships, and grief on her blog, HeatherMargiotta.com. Besides loving Jesus and her family, Heather is obsessed with coffee, local pizza joints, and nail polish. Find her on Instagram and Facebook.
