Have you ever gotten that awful pit-in-your-stomach feeling after finding out you let someone down?
It felt like the wind had been knocked out of me as I read through an email from a client, sent to my manager and forwarded to me, describing how I had let some details fall through the cracks on a project.
A horrible sense of discouragement and embarrassment moved in for the kill.
In the past, I would have welcomed my uninvited critical thoughts to stay a while, resigned to the fact that I must be unable to do anything right!
But not this time; too many hurtful experiences had taught me to recognize failure as an opportune time for my opponent, the devil, to devour me with feelings of inadequacy and shame. This enemy is bent on making me believe that when my best isn’t good enough, I’m not good enough.
Fortunately, times of pain have also included hours of poring over God’s promises, gathering wisdom to deal with this unwelcome intruder. I have learned to be alert to the devil’s schemes and ready to stand against them. In 1 Peter 5:8-9, Peter tells us how:
“Keep your mind clear, and be alert. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion as he looks for someone to devour. Be firm in the faith and resist him, knowing that other believers throughout the world are going through the same kind of suffering” (1 Peter 5:8-9).
After reading the email and letting my thoughts run wild for a few minutes, I knew I had to clear my mind. I asked the Holy Spirit to help me un-clutter my thoughts with the clarity of truth from logistical, circumstantial and spiritual points of view….
Read the rest of this story and what happened in my Encouragement for Today on the Proverbs 31 Ministries blog. But BEFORE YOU go…
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I thought, when I read your post Renee, “Boy she nailed me!” I often have that thought that I have failed someone. Maybe I could not do what they asked, or did and did not do as well as I wanted to. And with God-I fall so short of His standards sometimes, that it could be tempting to throw in the towel. Stepping back, I realize I am not Super Christian. I am human. And God loves me-goofs and all. He even wants us to run to Him when we get ruffled, and worn out, and just have not done perfect. He knows. He just wants us to tell Him so He can comfort us, and heal us, and make us better for the next time. Resting in Him is so strengthening! Reading His promises, I know that they are for me! And He has said He will never leave us. That said some time to lick my wounds can be in order, as long as I let God heal them.
Awesome Lord, let the words I write here reflect your thoughts in my heart and my own ideas…..yes, Lord, I try to work with you when helping and/or dealing with other folks. But I do realize sometimes I miss someone, and I even miss my own thoughts and feelings. I value devotionals, various books on faith, and the Bible. You are so close to my heart and I love you dearly.
Let me go about each day in the way you wish for me Lord, and that I get my appointmentsa done with “Praise to you!_
Awesome, Lord, I thank you for all that happens, and all that needs to be worked on…I smile Lord, as I PRAISE your name.
What an amazing devotional!! Growing up, I never was able to do anything good enough. I was never a good enough sister, despite me practically raising my siblings. I was never a good enough daughter, despite me always showing grace, love, and respect to my parents when others thought I was crazy to do so with how I was treated by them. I was saved in an unsaved home in high school which added a whole other realm of just me being the “weird” one. Now as a wife, and mother of two, I am faced daily with this mindset of “I’m not good enough.” Satan constantly feeds me lies of “I’m not a good enough wife,” “I can’t meet the needs of both my kids at the same time.” The enemy continues to use the wounds of my past to try and defeat me today. Thankfully by the Lord’s never ending grace, I don’t have to be perfect!! I will never be! This devotional so spoke spoke to me today. I would LOVE to win this bundle, as it would be an amazing tool for me to find freedom in knowing that my best IS good enough!
Everyday when I wake and pray God it is a new day and I know your Grace is renewed. Guide me to do your will. As a single mom lord give me what I need to make it through the day. Then I read devotionals. Not a day pass that the devotional doesn’t speak to me in what I wanted to say but didn’t. And there are days I don’t get to my devotionals. Cause I hit the snooze one to many times or oh no there is a load of wash in didn’t move to the dryer. Or getting kids here and there dishes are waiting and I do them. That is when messages I am to hear come stronger in different ways. Post on Facebook, email from a friend, title of a devotional jumps at me in my email, song on the radio.
Being mom and dad to 3 kids (ages 9, 11, and 16) wears you out before you start the day. Do they have this remind them that. Last min mom I wanted to pack lunch today.
Rushing to get to school and work on time. Then home to start the evening rush, homework, supper, practices, housework, laundry. Mom you said you would get milk today.
Mom sits and cries. Lord help!!!
I wish that is what I always did. Yeah I sit and cry. How did things get like this. Why won’t the kids help. Can’t keep going. Yells at kids to do homework.
Then I remember others have these issues my seem harder cause I am alone. But God is right there to walk me through.
I am dealing with many behavior issues and have a teen heading down the very bad path. A teen that has learned all the triggers of the things her dad did to me when we were married. So most of the time my day isn’t like above. It is like that plus that teen who is struggling and won’t let me help. A teen who several times a day finds ways to make my day even harder. Giving me days on the weekends when the kids are with their dad I just want to stay in bed all day just because it is quiet or sleep because the last two weeks only had half the amount of sleep I should have.
But each day I sit and give each kid 5 mins or more to tell me things. To show I love you.
There are days my friends get texts, emails or phone calls from me crying in return I get encouragement and love.
The love from friends is great but the love from God is the full filling love!
So many times we use the wrong measuring stick to measure our value. We are precious and loved by the one true Lord. We will stumble and fall but He is faithful and just to forgive if we ask. Satan will attack us by using others and our weaknesses but the Lord is there by our side.
I am working on not “fearing” people but having the appropriate response. My God created me and loves me and I will mess up. But, I do not want to fear so that I am afraid to try things. So, when I mess up, I need to be okay with it, work harder the next time!!
It’s an awful feeling, to do all we can do and still feel we are not doing enough. I try to remember this verse:
Galatians 1:10 New International Version (NIV)
10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
For a long time I allowed what others thought of me to control my days (and nights). My every move was under a microscope. I’m a single mother with a very active child, so I make every effort to still make time for me. Most days while he is at football practice, I use the time to run a couple of miles, just to relax myself. I prepare meals at 4am, so that we can still have dinner at home at the end of the day. Some days my son’s activities are so that my exercise is what I refer to as “cross-country” driving. Recently, I decided I didn’t want to run during practice, I just wanted to sit. Another parent approached me and made the comment, that I didn’t have my “S” cape strapped on that day. And it wasn’t so much of what was said, as much as it was the tone in the message. I had no idea my taking time for myself was an issue for others. Initially I felt defensive because I didn’t feel like I should have to explain myself for taking a day off from my routine.
It took a few seconds and a quick prayer to realize that it was okay for me to rest my body and I didn’t have to justify my rest to anyone. God knew I needed the rest and He approved the time off.
I simply smiled and responded, “I had to wash it [my cape]”.
When I feel my best isn’t good enough and I had big obstacles going on at the same time, I have to remind myself that God does know how hard I tried to complete the task at hand. Perfection isn’t obtainable but I have to remind myself that sometimes trying my best has to be good enough sometimes.
Thank you for addressing this topic of not feeling good enough. Your work-related example hit home for me. As a young, recently married professional working in a field I didn’t study in school, I labor so hard and yet things still fall through the cracks. I can relate to doing my best only to discover it wasn’t good enough… At work and at home. It is hard to have grace for myself and remember I am still learning. Your strategies to approach the situation with truth and courage, and maintain your identity apart from your failures are an encouragement to me!
Thank you for this post today. It was much needed encouragement.
Doubt or you have to do more and be better in order to be first or the best or make something of yourself. But with struggles or live events, God has shown me that His will and His presence and peace is what is worthwhile in my life. That I need to look to God for the assurance and not people for everyday living and then: All things work together for good…… I know that what I do, to my best is good enough.
I often feel like my best just is not good enough. It is so know good to have that assurance that in God’s eyes I am good enough. And that is what ultimately matters most, God’s thoughts. Amen.
I was contemplating this morning, not the ways in which I let the world’s judgements get to me, but the ways in which I let Christian ones. I had five minutes, between arriving at work and needing to be at my desk. I had packed lunches for a Kindergartener, a husband, myself, gotten office ready, I had read my devotional in the car and now I had five minutes to spare. Was five minutes really enough for prayer? Was I giving God the dregs? Was I not spending enough time in prayer? Should I just go to work and wait for prayer until I had more time to devote? And there whispers the devil, five minutes isn’t ideal, but five minutes of nothing is a victory for Satan, five minutes in prayer is a Holy victory. “But not this time; too many hurtful experiences had taught me to recognize failure as an opportune time for my opponent, the devil, to devour me with feelings of inadequacy and shame. This enemy is bent on making me believe that when my best isn’t good enough, I’m not good enough.”And man! You can pray over a lot in five minutes, I’m about ready to change the world now! http://smallwordsbiggod.blogspot.com/2014/10/day-237-five-minutes.html
I am learning to say no to things and it isn’t easy because I want to but I truly don’t have the time to and it would cause a sacrifice in something else, such as family and schooling. But I do know it would not have been my best yes. I pray for others to step up and make their best yeses.
I’m a very big volunteer but I volunteer for the wrong reasons. I do it because I want please people so they will like me. Sometimes by stepping out I’ve made a mess of things. I have a friend that won’t do anything until she’s prayed about it first. Sometimes you have to make a quick decision but the best way is to pray and wait for the Lord to say go. I remember in the bible where Saul was supposed to wait for Samuel and he didn’t. It would have been a short wait but he suffered for that decision. I get so hyper and emotional inside that my mouth is saying yes before the idea even gets to my brain. I’m doing a study now about saying yes and no at the right time. I’m learning that it’s okay to say no and when you do say yes it will be the best yes. Thanks for your devotion today.
Thank you for sharing these thoughts, Rene. Wow! I need this right now, as I am starting a new job, at the ripe young age of nearly 58. 🙂 There will likely be opportunities for my thinking negatively about myself and my abilities. God’s Truth is that upon which I need to focus! God continue to bless you richly!
It is refreshing to hear this. I have always strived to please my parents, but recently the Lord has opened my eyes that the person I need to be pleasing is Him(my parents truly are unpleaseable). Thank you for your uplifting words of encouragement!!!!
Thank you for your encouragement and reminder that I really need to keep my eyes focused and fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith ……very timely as I head off to a specialist appointment with Jesus accompanying me .
I know that he is nearer than my very next breath, and I’m thankful for that……and no matter what He Will see me through this ……..
I so totally agree with your post this morning. Feelings of not being good enough is Satan’s playground for me as well. When feeling attacked I go to God’s word for what is true and my verses are found in Ps 1- ” I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction,out of the miry bog,and set my feet upon a rock,making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth,a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.
Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told.”
Year’s ago God did put a NEW Song in my heart and when I feel like I am not enough I remember what He did for me and that I am a new creation. I need to learn from mistakes but not wear them.
Thank you for you thoughts this morning and more truth from God’s Word to stand on.
Blessings to you and on your day!