I Am Enough?
by Anna Beilman
Does a time of uncertainty have you asking “Am I Enough”? Are you playing many roles and you don’t know how to keep up? Are you more focused on the opinion of others than the opinion of God? Read about how you can feel enough and be apart of a bigger story.
All The Ways we ask “Am I Enough?”
Friends, how many times have you told yourself that you are not enough? We tend to be hard on ourselves. Often, we think we aren’t measuring up as a parent, coworker, spouse, child, friend, sister, business owner, faithful ministry worker, or Christian. With these thoughts, we beat ourselves up for not “being perfect” or measuring up to other people in our lives. We often feel we aren’t doing enough in friendships or at church. We have internalized the message that we are simply not enough.
Where Does This Emotion Come From?
Why do we as “am I enough?”? Where does this detrimental self-talk come from? It is likely that we were told, explicitly or implied, that we do not measure up. The messages that we tell ourselves on a daily basis usually originate from an outside source when we are young, or even as an adult. As a child, we believe what we are told. If we received the message that we weren’t smart, beautiful, or athletic enough, we likely believed it. When we experience hard, painful, or traumatic life events, we tend to blame ourselves in order to make sense of what is happening in our world and wonder what we did wrong. We carry the messages we received through our adult lives. We think, “Wow, if anyone ever knew the ‘real’ me, I don’t think they would like me very much.”
How The Question “Am I Enough?” impacts our relationship with God.
Inevitably, these messages impact our relationships with others and with God. We may not feel we can share these thoughts about ourselves with the people we love or with the Lord. So, what do we do with the thoughts? Often, we carry them around and present a put together front. We feel deep pain, shame, and guilt. These feelings can lead to anxiety, depression, and a sense of loneliness. We think, “Wow, if anyone ever knew the ‘real’ me, I don’t think they would like me very much”. We may even question how God loves us.
What Do We Do?
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2
What do we do with these messages? Is change possible? According to Scripture, the answer is yes, they can change! As we become aware of our insecurities and that lingering question “am I enough?”, God invites us to transform our mind. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
The process of transforming thoughts involves identifying them, taking them to the Lord, and replacing them with truth. It means owning that I fail and that is okay. God is all-powerful, loving, and redeeming my story.
The Bigger Picture & The Gospel
Instead of focusing on myself, I focus my identity in Christ and His work. I focus on glorifying His name.
The entire Bible is about how we ARE good enough because Christ is good enough and when we are born again into a relationship with Christ God sees His righteousness and not our failures. In Christ, our weaknesses are hidden and the strength of Christ is exalted. Then, as we invite Christ with His strength alone into our lives, our self-talk begins to change.
Practical To Do Item When You Ask, “Am I Enough?”
When asking “am I enough?”, consider an act of repentance. It is possible you are self-focused and less Christ focused. We are created to glorify God. Therefore, walking the opposite direction is not good for us or our relationship with Him. This may be the piece that is missing if you are stuck in asking “am I enough?” As you turning in repentance through the leading of the Holy Spirit, you might find it helpful to read our post on God’s will for our lives.
Today, enter into the presence of God, take your thoughts, doubts, and insecurities and place them at the feet of Jesus. Live as a prized, chosen, and loved daughter of Christ.
Anna is a contributor of the Talk The Gospel. One of her favorite things to do is to talk about Jesus. She is currently studying Clinical Counseling at Richmont Graduate University and will graduate May 2020 to pursue her Doctorate in Counselor Education. She resides with her husband in Atlanta, Georgia.
