When You Feel You're Not Enough {And a Give Away!}

My sweet friend Sharon Jaynes has written a book I absolutely love! (Especially chapter 6!) If you struggle with confidence, you want "Enough: Silencing the Lies that Steal Your Confidence". Here's Sharon: 

When I was six years old, I skipped off to school with a new box of crayons, a Swiss–polka dotted dress, and fresh hope that I would be smart. But first grade only confirmed my greatest fear. I was “not enough.”

As soon as my first-grade teacher held up that initial spelling flashcard, I knew I was in trouble. We lined up our miniature wooden chairs in a row like a choo-choo train. The teacher held up a spelling flashcard for us to identify the word. If we missed the word, we had to go to the caboose. I spent most of the first grade in the caboose. I just couldn’t spell to save my life. For some reason, I especially had trouble with the word the.

I’ll help her, my teacher must have thought. She made me a nametag that read
t-h-e, and I had to wear it for two weeks. Students came up to me and asked, “Why are you wearing that tag?” “Is your name ‘The’?” “You must be stupid.” “What’s wrong with you?”

Well, I learned how to spell the word the, but that’s not all I learned. I learned I wasn’t as smart as everybody else, and once again, not enough. And even though I ended up doing well in school, many times I’ve still felt like that little girl in the caboose of the spelling train.

Moses was a man who felt he wasn’t good enough. When God spoke to him through a burning bush and called him to lead His people out of Egyptian bondage, he had a big case of the “not good enoughs.”

That’s when he had a one-sided argument with God. Moses told God he was the wrong man for the job. He wasn’t brave enough, strong enough, smart enough, eloquent enough, charismatic enough, or confident enough.

At one point, Moses said, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, “The God of your fathers has sent me to you,” and they ask me, “What is his name?” Then what shall I tell them?

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you’” (Exodus 3:13-15).

Moses was 80 years old when he had his argument with God at the burning bush. But even the weakest knees in the hands of I AM can become a mighty force to be reckoned with.

I’ll go out on a limb and say that you too, at one time or another, will struggle with feelings of inferiority, insecurity, and inadequacy just like Moses did. And the underlying statement feeding the sense of worthlessness is “I’m not __________ enough.” You can fill that blank in with any number of qualities.

But here’s what we need to remember: Whatever we feel we are not, God is. He is the God who fills in our gaps; He is I AM who fills in our blanks.

·        When we say, “I’m not strong enough,” God says, “I AM.”
·        When we say, “I’m not wise enough,” God says, “I AM.”
·        When we says, “I’m not bold enough,” God says, “I AM.”
·        When we say, “I’m not smart enough,” God says, “I AM.”
·        When we say, “I’m not good enough,” God says, “I AM.”

Once we let go of the lies that we are not enough and take hold of the truth that we are more than enough because of Jesus’s presence and power in us, then we will be set free from paralyzing insecurity and be on our way to experiencing courageous confidence to do everything He calls us to do. It’s time get out of the caboose and sit up front with the Chief Engineer.

You want to know something amazing? One of my greatest weakness as a child was spelling words. And now that is what God has called me to do today…write with words. I stand with Paul who lamented about his weakness: “But he [God] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV).

That’s what happens when we allow God to fill in our blanks. He turns what we perceive as our greatest weakness into our greatest strengths.

What is God calling you to do today? In what areas do you feel that you’re not enough? Oh friend, because of Jesus Christ’s finished work on the cross, and His power in you, you are more than enough! Don’t forget it.

Share this post with 5 or more people, then leave a comment that says, “I did it!” We will randomly pick one comment to win a FREE Enough” bracelet made by the ladies of Fashion and Compassion.


TO ENTER GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment that includes your email. One randomly chosen winner will be chosen and notified via email on Friday, 
April 6. Sorry, open to U.S. residents only. 




Order Enough: Silencing the Lies that Steal Your Confidence by April 6, 2018 and you’ll receive 3 FREE eBooks plus more! Click here for details.










Sharon Jaynes is an international speaker and best-selling author of 21 books. For those who know her best, she is a simple southern girl who loves sweet tea, warm beaches, and helping women live fully and free as a child of God and co-heir with Christ. 






12 comments:

A Journey For Life said...

Yes to this “I’m not strong enough,” God says, “I AM.”
jenn56093@ yahoo. com

Brandy Bunch said...

Done :) bellabrandy@yahoo.com

westernrose55 said...

Done! What an excellent, much needed to hear post! westernrose55@gmail.com

pnapple said...

What a revelation! I didn't connect the given name "I AM" with all that we are and need. God made it personal.

pnapple said...

Crogers307@gmail.com. I tried to order the book on Amazon- it's sold out

Unknown said...

I did it!!!!!! What an absolutely timely message....
Tracey
tkirch@gmail.com

Unknown said...

I shared on twitter as tallulahjane65. This was a great blog. I can't wait to read the book.
tallulahjane65(at)yahoo(dot)com

Linda said...

Such a timely post, and one that gives me so much hope
Reading the book will be so encouraging for me :))
lu3921@gmail.com

Vickie @Vickie's Kitchen and Garden said...

I did it! What a great reminder we all need! Grocerymoney15@yahoo.com

Tammy said...

I did it!!! What a great reminder! I am enough!! 2 Corinthians 12:9 is one of my favorite verses and I love your blog!! tdnewman@mail.com

Julie B said...

I am enough!! I shared on Twitter and Facebook. juliebeebe underscore 88 at hotmail dot com

Unknown said...

blaineroad@gmail.com Sounds like a beautifully written book that has my name all over it!

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