I am not good enough, I don't measure up, I don’t deserve it, and I am not worth it.

 

I am not good enough, I don't measure up, I don’t deserve it, and I am not worth it.

How many times do we tell ourselves, "I am not good enough!" Good enough for what? To be loved, accepted, recognized, appreciated, acknowledged, understood, approved, regarded, to go to heaven.

"You’re not good enough, you don’t measure up." Do people really say these things or do they insinuate them by comparison?

Insinuate – to introduce (e.g., suspicion) slyly. To introduce oneself by sly or ingenious means. To hint.

Does a parent go around telling their children that they are worthless, unlovable, and unworthy of existence? Yes, they do. Their words cut to the heart of a child like a torpedo hitting its target. Within the heart of a child, they are blown to pieces. This person who is supposed to love, respect, and support them is destroying them, and they have no means of defending themselves from this verbal missile attack on their character. All too often, these verbal attacks like torpedoes are designed to produce a reaction within the recipient or target. Our parents mean well when they say, “When I was your age” or tell stories of their childhood which clearly demonstrate how much more difficult it was for them than it is for you now. It may be more subtle than that; they may not recognize or appreciate the effort you put into a project or event. They may give you a cursory compliment followed by the phrase “next time,” all in an effort to create confidence that you can do better next time.

These subtle forms of comparison often destroy young children and lead them to believe they are:

• Never good enough,
• They will never measure up,
• They never deserve to be loved,
• They never can stop striving for perfection,
• They never can be appreciated for the effort they put into something,
• That they always could achieve more,
• Always do more,
• Always be more.

No grade in school is ever enough, no amount of success in sports is ever enough, no amount of helping around the house is good enough, and no amount of dedication or devotion to the church is good enough.

You get the idea; we are drummed into our fragile emotional state as a young child that our parents had it harder, they did it better with fewer means, they were smarter, less understood and appreciated, and they are working hard all for our benefit because their parents did not appreciate and recognize them, they are going to do the same to their children.

What does that do for the child?

The child grows up believing they are unworthy of love, affection, romance, success, and countless other virtues because they have been taught at a tender age that they will never measure up to their parents or their parents' expectations.

Parents destroy a child’s self-worth, image, and esteem for life by their constant picking, comparing, needling, their relentless attempt to get their child to conform, achieve more, and be like them.

Well, we are not our parents, and we will never be our parents, as adults, we need to break out of the chains that bind us.

We are not inferior, worthless, undeserving, unlovable, fragile, and insecure.

We don't need to compromise who we are to receive the benefits of love, acceptance, romance, and security.

We are all deserving of love from one another.

We are all deserving of God’s love for us. God loves each and every one of us. A child whose self-worth, esteem, acceptance, and love have not been built up grows up with incredible insecurity. There is no foundation to fall back on in times of fear, uncertainty, and doubt. It is very important to instill in children at a young age that our God Lord loves them, that we love them, and that we accept them, as the unique person that they are. We all have our differences from one another that do not make us any more or less likable or lovable. We are a gift from God, God's chosen people, loved by our Father despite our imperfections and infirmities. We have great worth in his eyes. If we continue to believe in the name of our Lord Jesus, obey his commandments, and pray continuously, we will find peace, happiness, and joy.

I desire to be like the wise man as told in the story of Matthew 7:24-29.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.”

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on a rock. The rain came down and the streams rose and the winds blew and beat against the house, yet it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock. Psalms 18:2 – I love you, my Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God is my rock, in which I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the Lord who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. Matthew 16:18 – Jesus says I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Does a wise man build his house upon the rock? Remember, we are that house; we are a holy temple of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 3:16 – Don’t you know that you are God's holy temple and that God's spirit lives within you.

We are the temple of the Lord, a wise man will build his house upon the rock, is Peter that rock? No! Is God that rock? Yes. We are to build our house upon the foundation of the Lord, not Peter.

Remember, we are called to love our neighbor as ourselves. We are called to live in peace, in harmony, to avoid contention, be slow to anger, be filled with compassion and sympathy, do what is good, forgive others, serve others without expectation, be joyful in everything, pray continuously, love the truth, honor and obey our parents, have faith, hope, charity, keep no records of wrongs, have patient endurance, love our neighbors as ourselves.

Insecurity – not adequately protected or guarded, unsafe. Unstable. Not self-confident.

Security – freedom from risk or danger, safety. Freedom from doubt, anxiety, fear; confidence.

Confidence – reliance on trust. A trusting relationship. A feeling of self-assurance. In the 23rd Psalm verse 4 – "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff comfort me." Philippians 1:6 – Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

I am confident and have full faith in my salvation. I trust the Lord will see me through any time of fear, uncertainty, and doubt. I love the Lord with all of my heart and soul; in him, I shall never hunger or thirst. I will not let Satan have a foothold, everything good comes from God, and everything evil comes from Satan. I will not dwell on the past, I will live for the Lord today, and I will serve his children today. Even though I walk through the valley of fear, uncertainty, and doubt, I will trust in the Lord to complete his good work in me until the day he comes again on a cloud from heaven. I love you, my Lord, I thank you for this day, and I sing praises to your name. Bless me as I live this day, protect me from all evil and spiritual harm. May your will be done in my life, Heavenly Father, not mine, and may you bless me with patience and endurance.

Amen.