Am I Enough?

I have always perceived myself to be a confident person. Well, at least I have been in my adult life. I struggled with insecurity and confidence in junior high (ugh!) but managed to overcome this struggle with support from mom and dad and other adult mentors along the way. Now, that is really not giving credit where credit is due, because certainly it was the Lord working through those people to instill confidence in a junior high girl's heart and mind. But, I didn't recognize that at the time.

Fast forward...about two months ago I had a big time struggle. Few, if any knew that it was going on because the battle was taking place in my mind. A lack of self-worth just seemed to pop up out of no where. Initially I thought it was some hormonal mayhem, but that's not really the struggle is it? The struggles in this life are not against flesh and blood (and hormones) they are against the spiritual forces of wickedness and the father of lies.

Ephesians 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

John 8:44 "the devil...he is a liar and the father of lies."

God, in His forever mercy, placed a bible study (HERE) , a sermon (June 28-Teaching your kids about Honesty) , worship and some friends in my path at just the right time. (He is good like that!) I came to realize several lessons through some healing tears.

1. Be honest. Why do we hide our hurts from those that love us in an effort to keep up an appearance of perfection and happiness? It's disonest and it's sin. That kind of deceitfulness is like a destructive root in our minds. It can take over a garden of truth in no time at all. Opening up to these friends and my husband was vulnerable and at first seemed embarassing, but the result was freedom. I am convicted more strongly than ever to share our lives, the beautiful and the ugly, with trusted, Christian friends that can encourage us and build us up in truth.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up."

2. Live and speak truth to your soul every day. And, I mean SPEAK it out loud. We were wonderfully made (wrinkles and all) in the image of God. We were made by love and to love. We are made for a purpose. We can have full confidence in our salvation through Christ. We are not important because of our stuff or our appearance, but because the Creator created us uniquely and beautifully. Anytime my mind wanders away from this truth and into the "Am I good enough" camp we are letting lies control us instead of truth.

3. The world will work against truth every day. How many times a day to I overhear conversations that revolve around what someone has or looks like or wears. It's not that coloring my hair, botox treatments, a cute purse, make-up, a car with extras...are bad things. The problem lies in finding our worth in things. It's hard to resist the temptation when the world around us assigns value and worth to stuff.

Conclusion...I am enough, because Christ is everything in me. This is a gift of God, not a result of anything I try to be or buy or look like, so that no one can boast in themselves. By the way, you are enough too. Why? Because He created you!