A Sumer to Be Our Best!
“Never stop reciting these teachings. You must think about them night and day so that you will faithfully do everything written in them. Only then will you prosper and succeed.”Joshua 1:8 (GW)
Author Alli Worthington writes in her book Standing Strong how so many women of our generation are held back by crippling self-doubt. Beaten down by their inner monologue whispering they will never be enough, they become drawn to messages of self-empowerment.
As Allie reminds us, this popular, yet unbiblical, mantra preaches that our success and significance depend exclusively on our OWN hustle. But this message is missing one crucial part of the equation – Jesus.
Writing to the church at Ephesus, Paul teaches “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV) We are simply too insufficient to be the source of our own salvation or justification.
And yet we live in a world constantly telling us two conflicting messages: on the one hand, we need to compare our lives with others, to live our “best life possible,” while on the other we’re told to believe we’re “good enough” just as we are!
“I’m enough” may sound comforting and empowering. And it no doubt may help to increase our feelings of self-worth. But might it also be a way to settle for less? Shouldn’t we always strive to learn and grown and improve?
Enough is just the beginning of embracing who we are, but too many of us stop there! Why?
It’s confusing and not what God wants for us. In his second epistle, Peter instructs that we should “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18 ASV). This is true in our faith and in our personal lives.
When we partner with God and embrace his wisdom, we understand there is no other person with our unique gifts and talents and, let’s face it, our brokenness. It’s time to face our fears, take accountability, and know WE are enough for God to meet us where we are while continuing to develop all God has for us!
How do we do that? There is no better time than this summer to catch up on your reading, podcasts, and most importantly – your time with God. We’ve made it easy for you this week to dive in! Check out the helpful resources at allthingsfaithful.com to invest in yourself, whether you’re an entrepreneur, a stay-at-home Mom, or someone looking for a calling. These resources are for you!
Each one of our curated devotionals and products provides helpful tools and conversations from people across many backgrounds of leadership, faith, and ministries – visionaries and leaders that will inspire you to be all that God has for you.
So take the time this Summer to invest in God and in yourself.
May God continuously lead your path!