Do you ever give in to the fallacies of the lies that say you aren’t good enough?
I do.
I wish I didn’t, and I think I’m making progress, and then I’ve fallen down a slippery slope.
For many years I listened to the bold-faced lie that I wasn’t good enough because I was sub-average height.
- I thought I “saw” confirmation of it in the eyes of waiters or hostesses who always sat us at the worst table.
- I “saw” it in the reaction of store clerks who looked past me to others in need of help.
- I “saw” it in fellow travelers who acted annoyed at the additional time it took me to put my luggage in the overhead bin (or worse yet when I tried to retrieve it at the end of a flight!)
The damage occurs when we buy into a lie and can no longer discern the truth because what see and hear around us seems to confirm its validity.
When our thoughts and beliefs don’t line up with God’s truth, we’ve been duped.
Jesus proved to Zacchaeus he was good enough
It took a story from the book of Luke to reveal the error of my thinking.
History records a story about another soul who perceived his height to be to his detriment, and clouded his ability to see Jesus.
Zacchaeus wanted to see and he wanted to be seen. Specifically, he wanted to be seen by Jesus. He was a determined little fellow. In his determination, he ran on ahead of the crowd around Jesus and climbed up in a tree to have an unobstructed view of Jesus.
It wasn’t his ingenuity that won Jesus’s attention that day. It was his willingness to seek after Jesus with his whole being. That touched the Lord, and as a reward for his persistent seeking, Jesus requested that Zacchaeus climb down from his perch above the crowd, and escort Jesus to his home to share a meal together.
Zacchaeus got more than he bargained for. He just wanted to be able to see Jesus, as the others in the crowd could. But in his persistent pursuit of Jesus, he was honored not only with a glimpse of Jesus from afar, but with personal one on one time with Jesus to relate and connect.
Jesus didn’t allow a little thing (no pun intended) like a man’s short stature get in the way of determining his worth.
Jesus looked beyond flaws and into the heart.
Proof that YOU are good enough
So while others may treat me differently for my petite stature (just as I’m sure Zaccheus was treated differently by those around him). My worth, Zacchaeus’s worth, and your worth are determined by the Son of God who wants nothing more than to join you in your day-to-day activities, allowing us to know Him intimately.
“To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”
Ephesians 1:6
What lies have you believed that led you to conclude you weren’t good enough? Will you listen to God’s truth today instead?
Depression doesn’t have to become a permanent part of life.
There is hope.
Hope Prevails: Insights From a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression and the companion Hope Prevails Bible Study help the reader understand how depression comes to be, recover their joy, reclaim their peace, and re-establish their true identity, while knowing their worth, remembering their secure destiny, and being confident that nothing separates them from God’s love.
Hope Prevails and the Hope Prevails Bible Study are must-reads for anyone suffering from depression or knows someone suffering from depression.
“There are many fine, worthy, and insightful books written about depression, but in my view, Dr. Bengtson’s trumps them all. Our first step of making it to the other side of the valley of depression may well be falling into the competent and compassionately written words of this God-honoring book: ‘Hope Prevails.’” ~ from the foreword by MARILYN MEBERG, Women of Faith speaker and author of Constantly Craving
Thank you for this lovely reminder that the worth of all souls is great in the eyes of God! Stopping by from Meetup Monday.
So glad you stopped by. You have great value to Him!
What a fruitful find at Inspire Me Mondays! We need to hear the truth loud and we need to hear it often. Thanks be to God that He made us and He loves us.
Yes, Michele, we need to hear it loud and often. We need to remain astute and remind ourselves of His truth daily. Oh how He loves us!
A lovely post and a good reminder to all 🙂 God Bless!
Thank you Dana! I hope you’ll stop by for more encouragement in the future!
I’d like to think that I never have this problem–and I don’t–EXCEPT, I’ve just realized recently that my judgy attitude towards others is simply a vicious form of me thinking I’m not good enough. It’s a habit I’ve fallen in to that I need to get out of. So, rather than having one specific thing I feel inadequate about, I have these flash-moments of insecurity that cause me to judge someone else. It’s time to deliberately think kind thoughts about people that I meet, see, talk to or pass by on the street.
I’ve been there Anita. I have found that I tend to see and be critical of aspects in others when those very same aspects can be found in me as well — perhaps because I’m more familiar with whatever it is I’m judging, because I’ve had first hand experience with it? For me, I now know it’s an opportunity to search my own heart. I pray we each take the opportunity and time to take the log out of our own eye. Blessings my friend!
I really liked this post and a great reminder of who we are in Jesus! Thanks!
Thanks Clare! Knowing who we are in Jesus makes ALL the difference!
Oh, Michelle! I couldn’t wait to read this one…besides its awesome authorship…the title drew me in! I just love this: ” It was his willingness to seek after Jesus with his whole being.” YES!!!!!! I think I must need to hear this for some reason, because this verse in Ephesians was in our sermon yesterday and two blogs in a row that I just read. Wow. I need to soak that in. God has something I need to know there. Much love! Keep it up! Your posts are so healing and point to the glory and hope of a loving, might Savior! Blessings from “Espressos of Faith”!
Oh how your words bless me Bonnie Lyn! Isn’t it an encouragement to know just how fervently the Lord pursues us when He has something for us to learn. Soak it in my friend. I suspect He has a gem for you! Hope Prevails!!
Perfect timing–I’ve been working through my worth in God’s eyes lately, and this was the focus of much of my prayer last week.
It’s funny, though: I always thought I wasn’t good enough because I was too tall. 🙂
That just goes to show how the enemy works. He tells me I’m too short, he tells you you are too tall, he tells someone else they aren’t smart enough, or thin enough, or funny enough. It’s all lies. God created us perfectly, in His image. And because of Jesus, Hope Prevails despite our imperfection!
As a stay at home mom struggling to redefine her identity as a woman, writer, speech pathologist, etc, I cannot tell you how timely your words are this evening! You’re so right: we buy into a lie and can no longer discern the truth because what we see and hear around us seems to validate the lie!
Kristin, the enemy is so sneaky and no respecter of persons: he lies to each of us, men and women alike. We must stand firm in our identity in Christ. That’s the only perspective we need. Thanks for stopping by!
Your words are so beautiful. If we just put our hearts on Jesus and let Him lift us, all will work out! Thank you!
Oh YES, Jennifer! He works together all things! Because of Jesus, Hope Prevails!
Thanks for this beautiful reminder!
Thank you for your sweet comment. I hope you’ll stop by again sometime!
Love this post. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Shaney. I hope you’ll stop by again sometime. Blessings.
My 10 and 12 year old children are already as tall as me so I’m hearing about height pretty frequently lately, but they are excited that they are growing – not trying to make me feel bad. Glad you accepted that you are made the way God wants you to be. Best wishes!
My 11-year old surpassed me a while ago Jendi. He was so excited, and I’m excited for him, as he grows into the young man God created him to be. Blessings!
Thank you, thank you, Michelle. I fall into lies about myself far too often…way too often about so many things. My height is taller than many rather than being short. The height was only an issue when I was about in my early teens. My sisters grew even taller than I and I now am the shortest but still 5’8 1/2″…well I was, until I got older and shrank to 5’7 1/2″!!
But anyway, my real doubt has been about my weight all of my life and I am not fat either. So why do I persist in this? … I want to believe and live that I am the creation of the Lord’s and I am beautiful to Him.
Thanks again. Glad we are neighbor’s at Woman to Woman today.
Caring through Christ, ~ linda
Linda, the enemy never changes. He is always whispering lies to us to try to convince us that in some way, shape, or form, we are “less than” and because we are “less than,” we are unworthy. I thank God that it is exactly because I am less than perfect that Jesus came so that the Father would look past my flaws and love me as His daughter, just as He loves His son, Jesus! To Him be ALL glory! Hope Prevails!
Beautiful post! Some days I just need to stop and remember that I am worthy of love and support! This is a great reminder! Thank you!
Tricia, we all need to remember that we are worthy of love and support-not because of who we are, but because of who God is and who He says we are. In the shower in the morning, I remind myself “I am peaceful, I am joyful, I am content, I am loved, and I am worthy” because of Jesus’ sacrifice for me. It reminds the enemy who he is messing with. He loves you perfectly just as you are.
Your ‘less than’ has been your height. Mine for many years had been that I was so much bigger than my petite sister, who is 4″11″. Growing up next to her I felt like a cow. It didn’t help that my oldest brother called me ‘fat butt’. I wanted to be tiny-petite like my sister. It wasn’t until I went away to college that I realized, compared to most women, I was small. All 5’2ish…110lbs of me in college! Can you imagine? Wish I were still that 110 lbs today! 😉 I have grown to realize that my worth is not in my height or weight or the fact that I never got the braces on my teeth that I needed…or whatever new lie the enemy wants to throw into my path. My worth is in Christ! My sweet relationship with HIm gives me the confidence I have today. I ‘feel’ beautiful inside and out because of HIm!
Love this article my friend. So many women struggle with whatever ‘latest lie’ the enemy has whispered in their ear and they need to hear the truth of who they are in Christ in order to become the woman He created them to be! We all die little by little without that hope!!
Thank you my Sweet Friend. The enemy is very busy lying to us and trying to convince us we are “less than.” But GOD says, I/you/we are more than overcomers, we are the apple of His eye, we are victorious in Christ Jesus. And because of that truth, Hope Prevails!
This is so true, I think we all have our insecurities and sometimes we let them take over our way of seeing things. Thanks for the reminder that we are good enough. Hopping over from the Unite link up.
We most definitely are good enough – not because of anything we have done or haven’t done, but because God declared it. But the enemy will quietly (and not so quietly) whisper lies to get us to forget or doubt God’s truth. Hang tight Dear One. #Hope Prevails!
Powerful post! Thank you abundantly for writing this! We are constantly battling lies in our culture of constant and complete perfection.
One lie I personally struggle with is I’m not any good to anyone if I’m not doing something to help someone. I feel worthless when I’m sick and it’s not possible for me to do anything. The Lord is wonderful; He constantly, yet gently reminds me that it is not what I do that gives me value, but who I am in Him.
~Haley
Haley, I’m so glad you stopped by and took the time to vulnerably share your comment. I battled with the same thing. I was a busy doctor, and when I became seriously ill for a prolonged period of time, it was like I lost my identity because I could no longer “do.” It was in that pain and struggle that God reminded me, all He asks of me is to believe. He won’t love me more no matter what I do, and He won’t love me any less no matter what I do or don’t do. We are perfectly loved, just as we are. Hold on to that!
My dear Michelle, what a beautiful and encouraging post. The words you shared from experience and the words you shared from God’s Word are very powerful! My heart was extremely blessed by this article and I truly appreciate you sharing with Roses of Inspiration. May the Lord richly bless you, my dear. Hugs!
Oh how your sweet encouraging words bless me, Stephanie! I love hearing how God allows my words to touch others for Him. I hope you’ll visit again. Hope Prevails!
People seem to always want to make sure you know about your deficiencies, I have used that verse as a confession to affirm to my spirit that I am precious to Him, and He is working in me to His praise and glory someday. Thanks for the good article.
Hannah, I love that you use that verse as a confession to affirm to your spirit how precious you are to Him. He loves you and finds you worthy! You are a daughter of the Most High God.
This reminded me of Beth Moore’s study, Believing God, in which one of the 5 statements of truth states: “I am who God says I am.” We must walk & believe that truth each day. Wonderful post! Blessings!
I hadn’t thought of that before, but yes Joanne, you’re right. We must cling to God’s truth – it is the only thing we can rely on. Thanks for coming by. Hope Prevails!
Ahhh….If only we could see ourselves the way God see us. Because we were created in God’s image, we are lacking in nothing. This is a great reminder to find our self worth in the Lord and nothing else.
Oh YES, Laura! The good news is we CAN see ourselves the way God sees us. Reading His word and sitting in His presence allows us to renew our minds and see ourselves as He does. Our worth comes from knowing our identity in Christ.
Michelle, Such a great post. I still remember the Sunday school song about Zaccheaus. We are created in God’s image and he says we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Thanks for sharing.
So glad you stopped by Diana! Remembering that we are created in His image, fearfully and wonderfully made is crucial for living the life of joy He promised.
Amen to that. I am short too and I have felt the same as you, and I want to thank you for this post and the encouragement in it to understand our worth in God. Thank you for sharing this at Good Morning Mondays. Blessings
I’m blessed that you stopped by! It’s my hope that others will be encouraged to stand firm in their God-given identity. We must stand firm and resist the enemy.
Man looks at external things, but God looks at the heart! May we see others as He sees them. Thanks for the beautiful post! Linked up with you at Still Saturday — hope you’ll stop by Saved by Grace for a visit!
God bless,
Laurie
I’m so thankful you are right, Laurie. God looks at the heart. That’s how I want to look at others too – through His lens of love for their heart. Thanks for stopping by!
I’ve spent too much of my life believing lies that would tell me I’m not good enough. It’s so important for us to know who we are in Christ, and how He sees us. I am thankful you shared this post at The Weekend Brew!
Thanks for the welcome Barbie. I can relate to you…I too spent too many years believing the lies of the enemy that I wasn’t good enough, pretty enough, tall enough, smart enough, outgoing enough, I just wasn’t enough. The problem was, I neither knew they were lies or that they were from the enemy. Coming to that realization was life changing. I pray you will always see yourself through His eyes and know you are His, and you are dearly loved.
Oh the insecurities of life that we embrace daily instead of God’s truth! I believe I am not qualified or not good enough because of course there is always someone else who can do it better, right? It keeps me in a place of fear instead of stepping out in bravery. I am working on this right now and God is teaching me otherwise. Thank you for linking up at The Weekend Brew. So good to see you there!
Thanks for the warm welcome Mary. Too many of us fall prey to the lying whispers which is a breeding ground for our insecurities. We must cling to the truth about what God says about us. Only then can we live in freedom, in the abundant life Christ came to give. Keep pressing in to Him. He rewards those who earnestly seek Him!
Oh, this is so me. Always striving to be more, because it seems I am never enough. Love this post! Thanks so much for taking the time to come over and link up with us at the #HomeMattersParty – we hope to see you again on Friday! Feel free to bring a friend 🙂
So glad to link up with you Kristen. Always such encouragement there. That’s just it…we all need to be encouraging each other, appreciating our differences and gifts, rather than comparing ourselves and competing with each other. God has a special plan for each of us individually-a perfect plan to prosper us and not to harm us, a plan to give us a future and hope!! Stay the course Dear One, and He will lead you on the perfect path for you.
I’m so glad God looks beyond our flaws. Just today, I was telling my husband that I’m pretty sure I’m not enough – not “mom enough”, not “wife enough” not “friend enough”, not “good enough”. This post is a huge encouragement for me – thank you for sharing with us at Grace & Truth!
Rebekah, you aren’t enough, neither am I, neither is our pastor’s wife or our pastor for that matter! That’s the whole reason Jesus came…to make us good enough in God’s eyes. Now when God looks at you and me, we ARE good enough. So the next time the enemy whispers in your ear that you aren’t “enough” whatever, tell him that Jesus paid the price and you are now more than enough in Him! One day I look forward to meeting you in Heaven my “enough Friend!” Because of Him, Hope Prevails, and we ARE enough!
How am I not good enough? Let me count the ways…and all the reasons why! Such were the lies that the enemy planted deep in my heart as an abused child and dug ever more deeply later as an abused wife.
Thank God that in spite of all that He guided me along a path where I learned who I am in Christ. I learned who God says I am! And like you told Rebekah in your reply to her, I now get to tell that old enemy that Jesus paid the price and I am now more than enough in Him!
Oh how I love this message! I thought I wasn’t good enough because I wasn’t perfect, didn’t do everything right and excel in everything I tried but those were lies for sure. It was a while before I realized they were lies but when I finally realized what God says about me and that I am good enough because I am His child and loved by Him, oh, the joy I feel. Do I still believe the lies? Sometimes during a vulnerable time but it doesn’t last long because the Holy Spirit and the Word of God remind me WHO I AM and WHOSE I AM, then I boot satan out the door. Thank you so much for this message! I sure needed this reminder!! Your petite size is precious in Father’s sight and in mine cause you are my dear friend who loves to encourage me to believe that Jesus is Lord and my Savior. You are anointed by Father for the ministry and work that you do as a doctor, as an author and as a sister in Christ.