Do you ever feel like you’re not good enough? I think many of us feel that way at some point in our lives, and some may feel that way on a regular basis.
Perhaps you can’t even remember the last time when you actually felt like you were good “enough”…whatever that means.
I don’t recall who said this, but I heard it on a podcast and it stuck with me. The podcast host quoted someone else who said that there are three main identity myths:
- I am what I do.
- I am what I have.
- I am what other people say about me.
If we’re constantly defining ourselves by these identity myths, of course we never measure up!
You Are Not What You Do
This one is probably the biggest challenge for me. I am a highly productive, Type A person. I love to get things done and check things off my to-do list.
There is nothing inherently wrong with that. The problem comes in when I start thinking that I am only a worthy and valuable human being if I’m being productive.
If you can relate to this, consider this for a second – does a human being have worth if they aren’t productive?
Would you say that someone who is unable to work due to their age (being too old or too young) or due to a disability has no value as a human being? Of course you wouldn’t.
What you do certainly matters, but it doesn’t define you. You are not what you do. You are not merely a list of every accomplishment you’ve ever achieved.
On the flip side, you are not defined by the worst thing you’ve ever done. There is no sin too big to be forgiven.
You Are Not What You Have
In our culture of bigger = better and always wanting more, more, more…it’s no surprise that we define ourselves by what we have.
The big house, the fancy clothes, the successful career, the impressive salary, the luxury cars, the endless stuff…the list goes on.
As Dave Ramsey always says, there is nothing wrong with having nice things – just make sure those nice things don’t have YOU. If you’re racking up debt to impress people who aren’t even paying attention to you…is that worth it?
You Are Not What Other People Say About You
I love the quote “what other people think about me is none of my business”. You are not defined by other people. Nothing that anyone has said to you (or about you) or done to you defines you in any way. You can choose how you want to perceive yourself and the things you want to believe about yourself.
That freedom is always available to you, regardless of what other people say or do.
Victor Frankel said “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
What other people say about you does not ultimately matter at all. What does matter is what God says about you.
Who You Are
You are a unique, valuable human being who was created in the image of God. You are loved so much more than you could ever imagine.
When you choose to follow Jesus, you become a child of God. You are forgiven. You are accepted.
You are free from condemnation and you are a new creation in Christ.
I’ll leave you with these lyrics from the song “You Say” by Lauren Daigle.
“I keep fighting voices in my mind that say I’m not enough
Every single lie that tells me I will never measure up
Am I more than just the sum of every high and every low?
Remind me once again just who I am because I need to know
You say I am loved when I can’t feel a thing
You say I am strong when I think I am weak
And you say I am held when I am falling short
And when I don’t belong, oh You say
I am Yours.”
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