Have you ever felt rejected and not good enough for somebody? What about situations where a loved one needs help and you feel inadequate in the circumstance? What do you do when you feel you are not enough?
I have been feeling this way a lot lately. My husband, Bruce, was injured late last year and, amidst the waiting for answers, his injuries seem to be spreading throughout his body. There is nothing I can do to help him. Simultaneously, I have a good friend going through a really tough time personally. As much as I’d like to, I can’t fix it for her and I am constantly feeling as though any advice I give may be wrong. There is nothing I can do to help her.
As another example, my poor son is constantly beating himself up for the things he does wrong. Whether it’s a sin or a mistake, he is daily plagued with the feeling that he’s not good enough. It has now become the routine to have nightly counseling sessions before bed where he lists off all of his inadequacies throughout the day so that we can work through them one by one.
We are often faced with the feeling that we are not enough. Whether its because of feeling disregarded by another, or because we feel inadequate in a situation, this idea of not being good enough is full of lies. But pay attention, because they may not be the lies the world has told you they are. Let’s discuss these in light of God’s truths.
Truth #1 – You AREN’T enough
Here’s the thing, the world today wants to pump you up to believing that you are all that you need. Our culture is so jam-packed with self-love memes that we are losing sight of God’s truth. We are not gods. We were never meant to fill another’s deepest needs, let alone our own.
It is not our job to provide all the answers, or to be somebody else’s strength in times of weakness. I cannot be my husband’s rock, or my friend’s stability. I am not enough.
Why am I not enough? Because I am merely human. I make mistakes and am (in the end) self-seeking. My wisdom is only as good as my own limited experience and understanding of the world. I am a sinful being, flawed in all I do.
As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one” Romans 3:10
Truth #2 – God IS enough
The good news is even though you may not be what another needs, God is. He is the one who is enough. He actually can fill their deepest needs, and provide all the answers. He is the strength in the times of weakness, He is the rock, He is stability. He is enough.
If He was able to stop the sun in the sky (Joshua 10:1-15), if He was able to bring a giant to his knees (1 Samuel 17), if He was able to raise His own son from the dead (Luke 24:1-12), then He is able to carry your loved one’s burdens and to be all that they deeply need.
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19
Truth #3 – His “enoughness” can dwell WITHIN you
This is where it all comes together. You are not enough, but He is enough, and He created you perfectly for His “enoughness” to dwell within you and through you. When you have surrendered your heart and will over to Him, and have invited Him in to live through you, He will do just that. He will begin to use you in a way that points others to Him.
I may not have the wisdom, words, or strength to help those I care about, but He does. And if I allow Him to guide and lead me, He will use me as His vessel to meet others where they are at. He will provide the words. He will be all that I need, and He will be all that they need as well.
Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20
Truth #4 – You ARE enough for His love
This one right here, is for you. There is nothing you have to do to earn His love for you. He loves you already. He loved you the day He created light. And He’ll love you the day He returns to this earth in mighty triumph.
For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
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
Not only does He already love you because you’re His perfect creation, He is IN love with you. He takes incredible delight in who you are. Please know that you are enough.
The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17
Why is this good news? Because it means that there is nothing you can do to change how He feels about you. He does what no other human on earth can do, He accepts you just as you are. You may not be enough for your husband, or boyfriend, but you are enough for Him.
RELATED POST: THE 12 MOST UNDERVALUED VERSES ABOUT GOD’S LOVE
The Final Truth
You are not enough for others in your life, but God is. You are not enough for others in your life, but you are enough for God. Let these truths sink in. If you have not invited Him into your life, now might be a good time to do that. Fall to your knees before Him and surrender your worth over to Him. Ask Him to be your enough. And accept that you are already enough for Him.
We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19
2 thoughts on “4 Things to Know When You’re Not Feeling Good Enough”
Perfect timing, as our lord does. I am doing a study – For His Glory, Living as God’s masterpiece by marian jordan ellis. in it she addresses that oh-to-prevalent-and-hard-to-put-to-rest thinking of not being enough. I appreciate the truth you open with that “i” am not, but our father is. My husband is facing some challenges and while my human heart longs to ease his pain and load, my gracious father has worked in me to keep my mouth closed to my husband but wide open to the only one who can work far greater than what i can imagine or think to ask for. thank you amy.
Thank you for sharing your story Sheryl. I will have to check out the study you mentioned!
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