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I Am Not Enough…and Grace and Truth Link Up

March 12, 2021 by Lauren 34 Comments

This past Monday the world observed International Women’s Day.  I know of and personally know many wonderful women worth celebrating.  And I’m thankful that women have and are fighting for equal rights and equal pay.  Women are just as worthy of success as anyone else with the same qualifications.  But I believe some messages of this movement miss the mark.  We (women and men) were not created to be completely independent of God or other people.

A simple google search of the phrase “I am enough” unearths multiple books, t-shirts, jewelry lines, canvas prints, a master class and a guided self-love meditation.  Self-help gurus shout from every platform, “I AM ENOUGH!”  “YOU ARE ENOUGH!”  In a world where every home improvement show and bikini-clad social media influencer nudges us toward comparison, it’s a nice thought.  But here’s the thing, it’s not true.

 

This message and the people spouting it are well-meaning, and very prevalent in this season.  The underlying message of building self-esteem, finding yourself worthy and loving who you are sounds good – even needed – in a climate of vicious bullying and cancel culture.  And yet the same people who tell us that we are inherently beautiful also want to sell us billions of dollars in diet programs and products and who-knows-how much in exercise equipment, apparel and gym memberships.  Also, we need to add to the Kardashian’s millions by using their cosmetic kits.  So which is it?  I am enough?  Or do I need all these things to make me better?

 

I would not dream of speaking for you, but I will tell you how I feel about myself.  Most definitely, I am NOT enough!  This will not be a popular sentiment, but I have not been, nor will I ever be in and of myself, enough!  If I measure myself against this world’s standards, there will always be someone smarter, prettier, more fit, more popular and who has nicer things!  So how could I possibly be satisfied navel-gazing at myself?  I can tell you without hesitation that I am not worthy, deserving or anywhere near perfect.  There is something in me that will always keep me from being enough.  But I am okay with that, because…

 

He is enough.

 

I don’t have to possess a supermodel’s body or perfectly symmetrical facial features.  Almighty God, with reverence, made me wonderful (Psalm 139:14)

 

Never will I be the strongest or the smartest.  That’s okay.  Philippians 4:13 says “I can do all things through him who gives me strength.”  And I might as well cease striving in my own power because apart from God’s Holy Son, Jesus, I can do nothing.  (John 15:5)

 

I don’t have to dot every i or cross every t.  Through Jesus, God forgives me for all my sins (Ephesians 1:7).  Jesus died so I won’t have to be “good enough” (Galatians 2:21).  I could never be righteous without His intervention.

 

As a middle aged, middle class woman, the probability of me gaining success according to our culture’s standards is low.  But because of God’s blessings, I “abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8).

 

I no longer feel the need to hide my imperfections, because God’s power shines brightest through my weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

 

Whether or not I am in a romantic relationship or in the popular group, I am chosen and cherished by the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:4, 1 Peter 2:9).

 

I could tell myself all day long that I’m enough.  But a part of me knows that something is missing without Jesus.  It’s not always easy to drown out the voices in my head and see myself the way God sees me.  The loud messages of the world don’t line up.  But the truth is…I can’t define my value.  God’s word already describes me as a beloved daughter of the King of all Kings.  What could be better than that?

 

And now for this week’s featured post!

 

AnnMarie of  busyblessedwomen.com wrote about The God Who Sees Me last week.  I didn’t realize how much I needed to explore this aspect of God’s character.  In a world that is so noisy, it can be hard to feel truly seen, truly known and loved.  But in God we are!  Thanks, AnnMarie, for linking up with Grace and Truth.

Grace and Truth_Rules

1. Share 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.

2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.

3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).

Grace Truth_ButtonGrace and Truth_Meet Hosts

We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

HEATHER HART & VALERIE RIESE – Candidly Christian
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LAUREN SPARKS
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Now Let’s Link Up!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

 

Sharing is caring! If you liked this post, do me the huge honor of using the buttons below to share it to your favorite social media accounts. And if you want to get these essays emailed to you once a week, subscribe!  Lastly, my posts may contain affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy anything from one of these links, I will receive a few pennies to help offset the cost of this website at no additional charge to you. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

To find some great places where I might be sharing this post, click here.

 

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Hunger…and Grace and Truth Link Up

October 2, 2020 by Lauren 18 Comments

I want to start by letting you know about my new e-book This Was Not on My Bingo Card:  Essays on Cancer and Other Related Surprises.  It is FREE, but the only way to get it is to subscribe to my blog.  Do it today in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month!  I pray you will be blessed.  Now…on to the post: 

Hungry I come to You
For I know You satisfy

 

So begins one of my favorite songs from Vineyard Worship.  These words resonate with a deep, deep part of me.  You see, I have a long history of trying to fill myself with all the wrong things.

 

As a young girl, I never felt confident in my personality, my likeability, in my body.  But my intellect never failed me.  I relied on the accolades and applause from teachers and other adults to measure my worth.  And at home I could stuff down boredom, insecurity and shame with food.  Too much of it.  My curves came much earlier to me than most of my friends.  And I felt ashamed of them.  I saw myself as “fat” compared to the flat, lanky bodies of most girls.

 

As a young woman who took diet pills to finally look the way I wanted, I found my sufficiency in the attention of men.  This only led to a different kind of shame and a dark emptiness when break-ups and rejection still came…

 

To read the rest of the post, click here.  I have the privilege of contributing to a series called The ABC’s of God’s Love Letter.  25 Weeks.  25 Writers! on instaencouragements.com.  If you have time, read the series and download the free study materials.  I pray it blesses you.

And now for this week’s featured post!

 

I was encouraged by Encouragement for Working Through Anxiety by Donna of serenityinsuffering.com.  I definitely need to know more about this subject and was pleasantly surprised to find such a good mix of practical tips and scripture help here.  Thank you, Donna!

 

 

Grace and Truth_Rules

1. Share 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.

2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.

3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).

 

Grace Truth_Button

 

Grace and Truth_Meet Hosts

 

We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

HEATHER HART & VALERIE RIESE – Candidly Christian
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LAUREN SPARKS
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Now Let’s Link Up!

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

 

Sharing is caring! If you liked this post, do me the huge honor of using the buttons below to share it to your favorite social media accounts. And if you want to get these essays emailed to you once a week, subscribe!  Lastly, my posts may contain affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy anything from one of these links, I will receive a few pennies to help offset the cost of this website at no additional charge to you. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

To find some great places where I might be sharing this post, click here.

 

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About Me

I love Jesus, my husband and caffeine. The order of these can change depending on how tired I am. When my two daughters, stepson, and 4 grandchildren get to be too much, I practice yoga. God graciously allows me to share our adventures, victories and flub-ups from my laptop. May He be glorified here.
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