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Good Enough

6/5/2014

3 Comments

 
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By Erin Elizabeth Austin

Can you keep a secret? I, Erin Elizabeth Austin, am broken. I’m messed up, rundown, worn-out, and have failed more times than I can count. My body is sick with multiple diseases, and it often keeps me from doing the things a healthy adult can do. My church attendance is hit-and-miss because my body struggles to move in the morning. I often have to stay home rather than go out with family and friends because I don’t have the energy. Because of medical bills, I have no money. And I often let the laundry pile up because it requires energy and strength I don’t have to spare. In a nutshell, I’m not good enough.

But I’ll tell you something I've learned over the years – none of these things matter! God doesn’t care about any of those things. He doesn’t judge us according to the world’s standards. He doesn’t look down from Heaven and view us with disappointment and frustration. He loves us more than we can ever comprehend. Why? It’s because of what Jesus did on the cross. His death defeated more than just sin; it covers our failures, our brokenness, our sickness, and even our inability to do all the requirements we feel we should do as a Christian, such as attending church regularly and going on mission trips. We are good enough because Christ is good enough.

Yet that’s a hard truth to understand, and it’s even harder to accept. It’s easy to focus on what is wrong with us – to see what we can’t do. But that’s not how we should think. We need to think about all that’s right with us. God created you and loves you exactly as you are. Just as you wouldn't want your child to focus on his faults and weaknesses, the same is true with God and us. Don’t insult His creation (yourself) by talking bad about it. Walk confidently in who you are and be thankful for who He created you to be. 

Ephesians 2:10 is a verse God often brings to mind when I find myself struggling with my self-worth. It says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” The original word for workmanship is more accurately translated as “a work of art; a masterpiece.” Stop and think about that a moment. God says you are His masterpiece. The God who sees and knows everything, including your many flaws and failures, looks at you and says, “That’s MY child! He/she is beautiful. I love her so much and I’m so proud of who she is! She’s a masterpiece and I wouldn't trade her for all the money in the world.”
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That puts a different spin on things, doesn’t it? In a world with impossible standards in which we can never measure up, God sees us for who we really are, and He says we’re more than good enough. He knows we’re broken, wrecked, messed-up, and still He says we’re good enough because of Christ’s work on the cross. We are a constant recipient of His grace, love, mercy, and favor. We belong to God!

So rather than judge ourselves according to the world’s standards, don’t you think it’s time for us to view ourselves the way God does?

“Oh yes, You shaped me first inside, then out; You formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank You, High God—You’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out; You know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, You watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before You, the days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.” ~ Psalm 139:13-16 (The Message)

© June 5, 2014

3 Comments
Joseph
6/6/2014 02:08:57 am

I see God's perfection in all of this! His perfect creation, His perfect timing, and the perfect meshing of circumstances in our lives. Though imperfect in this world, perfect in eternity! Which one do we want?

DUH?!?!? LOL

Reply
Vickie
6/9/2014 08:44:44 am

What is the best answer for other Christians who say things like "Oh Jesus will heal you, you won't have to have that surgery your doctor say you will, you only have to believe"?

Reply
Rachael
6/20/2014 06:44:51 am

Vickie, I have several chronic illnesses and struggled for many years with "why won't God heal me?". I thought he was against me, I thought I was being punished, I thought maybe it was sin in my life. I came from a background of Christians that had the same "you only have to believe and God will heal you" mentality, and it honestly did me more harm than good, because if God doesn't heal you, then you feel like it's your fault in some way, or that he's against you. It was after my younger daughter fell ill at 13 years old with many of the same chronic illnesses I have that changed how I viewed chronic illness. I looked at her and knew God was not against her, I knew her illness wasn't somehow her fault. I knew what a wonderful, sweet girl she is, I knew she loved God and did not have some horrible sin in her life that he was punishing. I knew she believed God could do anything, so I knew it wasn't a lack of faith on her part that she was sick. I came to grasp the reality that we live in a fallen world, that our bodies are not perfect like they were meant to be, that bad things do happen to good people, that God doesn't heal every chronic illness, etc, and that's ok. He is there for us every day and I have actually come to understand His love more since both my daughter and I have become chronically ill than I ever did when I was healthy. So maybe sometimes there is good that comes from our chronic illness and maybe sometimes it's better if He doesn't do some great miracle to heal us. I know we would all love to be healthy, strong, and normal again, but maybe, just maybe, that's not what's best for us and only God can truly know that. I have come to accept that my daughter and I have genetic mutations that were inherited and that we will live with some form of chronic illness for the rest of our lives. Could God do a miracle and heal one or both of us? Sure He could, but if He doesn't, that's ok. It doesn't rest on my faith and only if I'd believe more, I do believe He could miraculously heal us, but I can accept that He probably won't, which actually gives me more peace in my relationship with Him, (instead of feeling like it's somehow my fault or angry that He won't heal me) and the ability to see His love and how He is taking care of us while we are sick. Besides, in a way, it's almost arrogant of us as Christians to think if we believe enough God WILL heal us, like the power is truly in our hands, though I never used to view it that way. The power and choice to heal us is truly in God's hands. My opinion is, don't let people put that burden on you that it's the strength of your faith that will heal you. I also don't think you should turn down medical care if it is important. Second medical opinions are great, but not getting medical care because someone tells you Jesus will heal you could be dangerous.

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    Erin Elizabeth Austin

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    Erin Elizabeth Austin is a writer and speaker with a passion to help people find healing in the midst of their brokenness.

    If you want to contact Erin directly please click here.


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    Josie Siler

    Contributor

    Josie Siler, like millions of others, is living with chronic illness. She is eager to share the hope and joy that she has found in Christ, whether that is in a church, at a women’s retreat, over a cup of hot cocoa, or through a blog post.
    Click here to email Josie.


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