I Just Want to be Enough...

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 We are continuing our series about our thoughts by studying Philippians 4:8. So far we have talked about thinking about what is true (an actual occurrence) and noble/honest. This week our word is just or right. This is the Greek word “dikaios'' which means upright, keeping the commands of God, and one who is as he ought to be. The Strong’s Concordance tells us that it is “used of him whose way of thinking, feeling, and acting is wholly conformed to the will of God, and who therefore needs no rectification in the heart or life.” 


That sounds pretty intense. I don’t know about you, but even after 30+ years of being a Christian, I do not think I have attained a place where I need no rectification in my heart or life. I would love to be at that place, but I have not yet arrived. The only person who could ever claim to be in this position is Jesus Christ. He was the only sinless perfect person. I have always wanted to be perfect. I can even put on a pretty good show. I have worked hard towards perfection, the problem is no matter how hard I work I am never good enough. All of my life I have wanted to be good enough. In elementary school, I had a teacher who would pick on me in front of the class. It started a horrible chain of events in my mind and life of finding no value in myself. I wanted to be good enough to have friends and have people like me, but often I perceived that I was made fun of and I felt like an outcast. I wanted to be good enough to get straight A’s, but I thought I was incapable of being intelligent because of the words from my teacher.


I wanted people to see value in me.

I wanted God to see value in me.

I wanted me to see value in me.


So I kept working towards perfect. I tried to be the perfect friend, the perfect daughter, then the perfect wife, the perfect mother, and always the perfect Christian- just hoping I might have real value somewhere to someone, but never fully feeling like I was quite good enough. I could never bring myself to say no when someone asked something of me because I needed to prove my worth. I thought that in order to be a good Christian I had to do everything for everyone. In order to truly be worthy of God, I had to prove my worth to His kingdom.


This life was exhausting. I was constantly asking God to help me be worthy of His love. One day as I was praying this I really felt God tell me that I was already worthy. That Jesus was the only way to be worthy, and he had already done his part. When I chose him and accepted him I became worthy.  Romans 5:19 says “Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.” I was born as a human so I’m not perfect. None of us are, even those who seem to think they are. It doesn’t stop there though. In 5:21 it goes on to say, “So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” We are given right standing and made just with God because of Jesus.


That realization has changed my life. I “knew” that all of my life, but I didn’t really understand it for so long. All my work and striving could do nothing to make me more worthy, it just made me exhausted. When I think just and right thoughts I need to think thoughts that line up with God’s Word, but I also need to think of myself in the light of Jesus and his redemptive work in my life. I need to look at others and understand that they may not have this realization in their lives yet and love them instead of judging them. When I do things for other people it should be to show them the love of Christ, not to try and appear perfect. On my own, I am nothing, but with Jesus, I am all that I need to be.


Are you struggling with feeling unworthy? Do you feel that you have to strive for perfection so that you can be loved by God? Sister, when you made Christ the Lord of your life you immediately became worthy. He did it for you. If you have not made Jesus your Lord and savior- please do. It is life-changing. If you need help with this please reach out to me, I would love to visit with you more about this.



This week as you allow your way of thinking, feeling, and acting to be wholly conformed to the will of God remember that part of his will is for you to know you are loved and just. When we have that realization we can love others and treat them just so much better.

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