To the girl who lays in bed at night scrolling through social media comparing herself.
To the girl who does things she never thought she’d do in hopes that she’ll be accepted.
To the girl who compares herself to that other girl and disqualifies and discredits her own ability.
To the girl who wishes her relationship would be like so and so’s.
To the girl who has been silenced, who lost her voice, who can’t feel anymore, who has become numb.
To the girl who uses alcohol, promiscuity, etc for validation and to ease the pain of the past.
To the girl who can’t see her self worth because of the way she’s been treated.
To the girl who feels insecure because of what’s being said or has been said about her.
To the girl who feels lonely even when she’s surrounded by friends and maybe even family.
To the girl who finds her security in makeup- who can’t go a day without it- who doesn’t feel herself without it.
To the one who has doubted their ability or calling based on past mistakes.
To anyone who has ever been rejected, been excluded, compared, doubted, the list goes on and on…
YOU. ARE. ENOUGH.
That girl was me. I have identified with each and every single one of these. The lies in my head wouldn’t stop. I was trapped- voiceless, emotionless, hopeless. These regular thoughts had become normal to me; I felt like something was off, but I couldn’t quite place my finger on what it was, so I just grew to accept it. I never spoke up. It was just “how I am”. Once you tell yourself these lies enough, you begin to believe them, I lived through the lens of these lies. In the back of my head I knew I was worth more- I grew up in church, knew I was “beautifully and wonderfully made”, knew “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me”, could quote scripture after scripture to you, yet I didn’t know how to live that out and I didn’t believe it.
Knowing something and believing something are two different things. I acted like I had it all together, like I knew what I was doing.
Being a pastor’s daughter, people place expectations on you. When people would talk to me I would tell them what they wanted to hear. If they expected me to act a certain way, I would feel it out and discover what they wanted to hear me say or do, and then I would act accordingly. I was a robot, a performer. I had to be perfect because everyone expected me to be and I couldn’t let them down. Through trying to fulfill the expectation of everyone else I lost who I was. Living to please people, I’d never be enough- no matter how hard I tried. If you’re scared you won’t be enough, then maybe you’re living for the wrong audience.
Galatians 1:10 says, “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (NIV)
The lies started in 6th grade. It wasn’t until nine years later that I found freedom, well freedom found me. Freedom has a name, and its name is JESUS. Through the lies, the hurt, the pain, I have found purpose. I can rest in knowing that I am enough BECAUSE Jesus is more than enough. I am not defined by my scars- my scars prove I have a past, but Jesus’s scars prove I have a future. Now, the ‘blinders’ have been taken off. Instead of seeing through the lens of the lies, I see through the lens of liberty, the light of Jesus, and love.
Don’t do what I did. Don’t minimize your pain. When you minimize pain, you give it more power. When you ignore your pain it leads to greater injury. You are allowed to feel, BUT be careful not to be controlled by your emotions and feelings. Emotions are good indicators but not dictators. Don’t let your feelings dictate your life. Don’t let them be in the driver’s seat- that seat is for Jesus. When you hold on to your pain and can’t release it, you are saying, “God, you aren’t big enough.”
What God has done for you is BIGGER than what anyone can do or has done to you.
He is ABLE to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all you could ever ask or imagine.
YOU. ARE. ENOUGH. BECAUSE. HE. IS. MORE. THAN. ENOUGH.
Instead of saying or thinking, “I’m not_____”, replace those lies with truths:
Colossians 2:10 - I am complete in Him Who is the Head of all principality and power.
Ephesians 2:5 - I am alive with Christ.
Isaiah 54:14 - I am far from oppression, and fear does not come near me.
1 John 5:18 - I am born of God, and the evil one does not touch me.
Ephesians 1:4, 1 Peter 1:16 - I am holy and blameless before Him in love.
Leviticus 20:26 - I am set apart.
Romans 8:37 - I am more than a conqueror.
Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
Deuteronomy 7:6 - I am chosen.
I am who He says I am.
YOU. ARE. ENOUGH
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