Recently I stumbled upon a video that caught my attention. It was a short clip on Instagram from a podcast titled, “Myths Christian Women Believe.”
The first sentence in the video was, “Myth number one is that ‘you are enough’. Um…no you’re not.”
Yeah, you read that right. I was taken aback, and honestly felt a little defensive. Who was this random mom and why was she telling me that I wasn’t good enough? What right does she have to say that? She doesn’t even know me!
But truth is, she doesn’t have to know me. And she’s right. I am most definitely NOT enough.
She went on to say that she will never be good enough either…and that’s okay. Our comfort in life and in ourselves should not be rooted in the idea that we are good enough, but instead in the truth that Jesus is. We should not find our identity and completion in ourselves, but in Christ alone.
This is so reassuring because it means we can stop competing and comparing. We don’t have to try and outdo everyone around us in order to be noticed or to be the best. Someone will always seem smarter, prettier, more athletic, you name it. But Jesus doesn’t love us for how good we are or how much we tithe or how often we read our Bible. He loves us because we are His. How great is our God!
The media is addicted to self-obsession. You see it everywhere you go. Pictures and videos say that you are enough, that you are beautiful, and that you deserve whatever you want. It is so easy to get caught up in that mindset and think, “You know what? You’re right! I AM good enough!” But that is a toxic lie that will always end in self-destruction. Because trends change. Our perceptions of ourselves change. If our identity lies in how confident we feel or how good we look that day, we will never find solid ground or true contentment.
We need more public figures like Allie Stuckey to call us out in love and debunk the myths we are constantly being told. I highly encourage you to check out her podcast “Relatable”. She gives a conservative and Christian perspective on culture, news, and especially politics. Her wisdom and humor are relevant and applicable. She is a good role model of how to use our image and platform to expose the lies of our culture and find release in the freeing word of God.
https://omny.fm/shows/relatable-with-allie-stuckey-1/episode-69-3-myths-christian-women-believe
Such a good reminder! I love it how that shocking statement “you are not enough” is being used to catch people’s attention and direct it towards the source of their true identity. It’s an interesting marketing approach too, to take a statement that rubs people the wrong way like that, but catches their attention so effectively.
Wow! Like Mariah said above, that is such a good reminder. At first, it might sting a little but then you have to take a step back and realize that by saying we are not enough, it takes a burden off of us. We know that we can depend on Christ for the strength we need to carry out our day to day tasks! What an interesting way of calling attention to a big reminder that we need. Thanks for sharing!
I love this article and your sensitivity to the truth that Stuckey is presenting. One of the best things about the Gospel is the fact that the pressure for us to achieve perfection is removed from our shoulders through Jesus and his redemption. I agree with you saying that the world needs more people who are willing to say the hard truth. I think this could be an opportunity for a ministry to arise, presenting the hard truths of the Gospel in a way for people to understand and get their hands on.
Mmm this is the stuff. It’s honestly when you realize that there is nothing that you can do to earn salvation – when salvation and the meaning of grace begins to sink in. It’s truly when we come to the end of ourselves. Always such a good reminder that grace is purely a gift. Thanks for this post Janae!!