I am always interested to read books on surviving challenges. Of course, my perspective is odd to most people. I've been so deeply and broadly blessed by "bad luck" that I don't fear the same way I used to. Oh, I still get fearful about health, money, family relationships...even fearful when trying to do the "right thing," if it truly is the right thing or only my ego deciding on what is most appealing to me. I am woman, hear me vacillate. Trying to get it exactly right is exhausting, impossible and, frankly, fraught with danger.
You see, I believe that failure is always driven by fear. I fear I am not good enough. I fear others will suffer for my shortcomings. I fear it won’t turn out as I planned. Do you see a theme here? It is truly all about me: will I be judged? will I look foolish? will I prove to be unworthy, unimportant? This is the bottom line. When our desire to help others or ourselves is limited by our personal capacity it is never enough. Eventually despair follows a consistent failure on our part to be perfect (often disguised as “good enough”).
And, as a mother who always wanted to be encouraging my children to be their best, I fear I often fed them this “never good enough” lie. I have lied to myself, but worse my limited understanding lead me to at least imply to my children and those I love that we can always be more valuable.
But here is the unvarnished truth. We already are ultimately valuable. Today we are broken, frightened, starkly aware of every error, every missed opportunity, yet already worthy and infinitely important. Not because of what we know or do or think we could have done, but because of who we are…the beloved child of the Almighty God who asked His Son to become acquiescent to a stunningly brutal death so that we might understand God’s utter love for us and Christ’s willingness to go where no man has ever gone for us.
God loves you utterly. God will never love you more than in this moment…and God will never love you less.
Don’t be afraid, because I am with you.
Don’t be intimidated; I am your God. Isaiah 41: 10 (God’s Word translation)
PS - this is true for your troubled loved ones too. Relax God's got this!
You see, I believe that failure is always driven by fear. I fear I am not good enough. I fear others will suffer for my shortcomings. I fear it won’t turn out as I planned. Do you see a theme here? It is truly all about me: will I be judged? will I look foolish? will I prove to be unworthy, unimportant? This is the bottom line. When our desire to help others or ourselves is limited by our personal capacity it is never enough. Eventually despair follows a consistent failure on our part to be perfect (often disguised as “good enough”).
And, as a mother who always wanted to be encouraging my children to be their best, I fear I often fed them this “never good enough” lie. I have lied to myself, but worse my limited understanding lead me to at least imply to my children and those I love that we can always be more valuable.
But here is the unvarnished truth. We already are ultimately valuable. Today we are broken, frightened, starkly aware of every error, every missed opportunity, yet already worthy and infinitely important. Not because of what we know or do or think we could have done, but because of who we are…the beloved child of the Almighty God who asked His Son to become acquiescent to a stunningly brutal death so that we might understand God’s utter love for us and Christ’s willingness to go where no man has ever gone for us.
God loves you utterly. God will never love you more than in this moment…and God will never love you less.
Don’t be afraid, because I am with you.
Don’t be intimidated; I am your God. Isaiah 41: 10 (God’s Word translation)
PS - this is true for your troubled loved ones too. Relax God's got this!
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