Am I Enough?

Who hasn’t struggled at some time in their life with the deep self-doubt that “maybe I’m not good enough.” Or pretty enough. Or smart enough. Or liked enough. You fill in the blank. This overwhelming fear of inadequacy can prevent us from realizing the glory of God’s plan for us.

Believe me when I say that there is no truth to back up these harmful thoughts. Think about where this feeling of inferiority comes from. Maybe you can tie it to a past experience or perhaps it is a deeply felt inadequacy you’ve held onto for a long time. No matter it’s origin. When our need for fulfillment lies deep within our psyche, it is fodder for the evil one to do his work.

 

He preys on our weaknesses, and speaks from a voice within us that we hear as our own. He tells us we are not worthy, that we will never measure up. And our hearts wonder "why should I bother trying?"

Realize the source! It isn’t always immediately evident because of the sneakiness of the predator. But you must realize that Satan is trying to sabotage your will. When I become aware that my thoughts or my actions have been controlled by Satan preying on my emptiness, I realize I have allowed darkness to fill me when I should have turned to the Light. 

When the realization finally creeps into my consciousness by God's power in me through His Holy Spirit, and I become aware that I have been duped by the enemy once again, it makes me so angry that I want to fight back. Satan amplifies our weaknesses, through no fault of our own, by reassuring our psyche that we are not good enough. Then he shows us a way to satisfy our deepest desires, which is actually a path to our own destruction.

When I become aware of this devious deceitfulness and attack on my very life, I go into battle mode.

Spiritual warfare is very real, and for those on the front lines the battle is never over. Satan will do what he can to prevent the furthering of the Kingdom of God. If you are working for the purpose of leading others to Christ, you must realize that there is going to be a battle for you to keep your forward motion.

Even if you are not in ministry, Satan delights in leading us from the path that God has planned for our lives. He can make the wrong way seem like the truth. It is not until we realize our misery that Satan's devious plan is revealed to us. We need to remain vigilant by keeping a constant awareness of this struggle and search our hearts for something that just doesn't seem right. 

 

Most importantly, we must always remember one thing – God is stronger than anything sneaky Satan can throw at us! By clinging to God and praying for His intercession on our behalf, we will always emerge as victors. For in the beginning of the book of John we read, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5 (NLT)

God is Light. The power of light over darkness is a Biblical reference, and a physical one, too. Even in the darkest night, a candle or other source of light will shine brightly into the night. The light will always overcome darkness. And the Light of the World will always overcome the darkness of Satan. Darkness will scurry and hide from the light, and linger in the corners for its chance to regain a foothold once again. That is why the battle continues. 

Look to God for your strength. With the armor of God you can fight the battle and emerge victorious. Simply cry out to Him and Satan’s stronghold is extinguished. Keep your focus on God, and put on His armor. In this way you will not know defeat. Be strengthened by knowing God is always on your side. This is a battle we can win.

“Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s Righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. “ Ephesians 6:13-17 (NIV) (emphasis mine)

Good vs. Evil

I’ve thought a lot about changes lately. Is it because of the new year and all the hype about resolutions and self-improvement? Perhaps that's a good thing. Maybe we need to have time to focus at least once a year on improving ourselves in order to get rid of bad habits or begin new, better choices that will benefit our health and our outlook on life.

Along with the idea of letting go, we embrace the positive aspect of new beginnings. Healthier eating habits are on many of our self-improvement lists, right along with exercising more regularly. These are certainly both at the top of my list.

Taking on a new life challenge may seem like just another thing to do. It isn’t until we embrace this new lifestyle that we begin to understand the rewards of changing our habits. Feeling slimmer and more energetic are the byproducts of healthier living choices, and who wouldn’t desire to feel better physically each day.

Our church has encouraged a similar philosophy when it comes to our Lenten season and indeed, our spiritual growth throughout the year. Instead of “giving up” something for Lent, we explore the option of “taking on” a new spiritual discipline. Perhaps it might be a small group study that will encourage us to read more or be in the Word on a regular basis. Accepting the challenge of self-improvement is exciting at the onset.

When we begin, we have high hopes for great change in our lives. It is when we try to adapt our lifestyles to accommodate our new ideas that we struggle. We still have the same time constraints as we had before, and now we are trying to cram in something more. While we know it is in our best interest, why do our best laid plans fall to the wayside as we choose instead to grab a bag of chips and plop down in front of the tv for our favorite program?

The self-improvement we seek cannot be considered for only the short term, and must reflect our desire for wholeness in all aspects of our lives. Weight loss is at the top of my list for this year, but so is spiritual growth. I am eating healthier and exercising. I love taking walks in nature and that is one kind of exercise I can easily keep up with.

Maintaining spiritual discipline in my life is so much harder. Not only do we have the busyness of our lives to deter us, but the evil one is so good at knowing our weaknesses and will dangle that golden carrot just beyond our noses for distraction. We can sense the aroma of something promised, something just beyond our reach, that seems so much better than what we have right in front of us.

What a challenge it is to discern if the desires of our heart are laid there by our loving Father or discretely placed by the evil one to sabotage any forward progress we are trying to make.  Both can appear to be our heart’s desire, and pull strongly on the direction of our lives.

How then can we know the difference? The answer is through prayer. Take your desires to the Lord and then wait for an answer. If it is the direction we should travel, the pull on our heart will feel stronger when we pray and lay our concerns at His feet.

If our pathway is divergent because of the glow of desire, it is probably our own insecurities reflecting off the golden carrot.  Satan is a master artist so do not be deceived. He can make something look so perfect and promising, when what he is really attempting to do is pull us away from God. 

I can speak from experience that he can make a choice in your life seem to shine like gold, and indeed seem to come from God Himself. Satan delights in putting a doubt within us that provides dissatisfaction in our lives, pulling us off our path and away from God.

We often can’t see the truth of the deception until we have chosen the wrong path and have begun to follow it. Then the devastating truth is revealed, and I hear Satan laughing with delight. But he will not have the final victory.

God is always there, waiting for us to return to Him. He is like a loving Father with outstretched arms and we only need to run to Him to be saved. The best time to turn to Him is before we make a decision that will change our lives. Pray for discernment, and for direction. And wait patiently for God to make clear the path He knows is best for you.

And if we err, as we sometimes will, and find ourselves on the pathway to destruction, cry out to Jesus to rescue you, and come to Him in repentance. Pray for forgiveness, and it will be given to you. Then pick up the pieces of your life and find the right pathway once again, the path that will lead you to happiness and peace, walking side-by-side with your Savior in harmony with all of creation.