The Truth about the Lie “I’m Not Good Enough”
The Lie: I’m not good enough.
The Truth: I am good enough because I am in Christ, and Christ dwells in me. My sufficiency is from the Lord, not me (John 14:20 and 2 Corinthians 3:5).
By GenaBarnhill@BarnhillGena
I loved the Lord and worked hard to please Him during my young and middle adult years, until I learned that striving wasn’t His desire for me. Living with a performance-based mindset resulted in excellent grades, advanced degrees, and outstanding work evaluations. Therefore, I applied that same mindset to my relationship with the Lord. I had been working tirelessly to earn His approval and acceptance, unaware that He had already freely given me these desires, and I did not need to earn them. Why did I believe I’m not good enough, and assume I needed to earn His love?
The Truth about the Lie I'm Not Good Enough #notgoodenough # believe Share on XSearching for the Root of I’m Not Good Enough
While sitting in her living room chair, my mother’s downward gaze, drooping eyebrows, and pursed lips suggested I had done it again. I sat on the floor looking up at her as she shook her head. I must have disappointed her again. Resting my head on her lap, I said, “I’m sorry and promise to do better next time.” “That’s not enough,” she said. As an eight-year-old child, I wasn’t quite sure what behavior she expected, but I knew I needed to do something more. What constituted enough? She did not say I was not good enough; only my apology and promise were not enough. Years later, I wondered if that was when I first misinterpreted what I heard and generalized her response to mean I’m not good enough. The Lord later revealed that this lie took root earlier in my life.
When I trained for the healing prayer ministry decades later, I learned I had lived with an orphan mindset. I continually sought approval from others and God and never felt like I measured up. This mindset was motivated by fear of rejection, punishment, judgment, and feeling overlooked. It led to endless striving toward the unreachable goal of perfection. This pattern of behavior had been practiced and ingrained for over four decades. I asked the Lord’s forgiveness for accepting this lifestyle. I wanted to identify when I first believed I was not good enough, so I could reject this lie and break it off at the root. During my quiet time with the Lord in the fall of 2018, I asked Him to reveal when I first accepted an orphan mindset and believed I was not good enough. I journaled His response.
The Lord Revealed
I sensed the Lord say,
- Gena, my precious daughter, I want to heal your heart. I want to take you back to when you realized something was not as it should be. Your family recognized that you were different, and they were afraid of you. They were feeling threatened and blamed you for their feelings instead of turning to Me to reveal what was happening. At an early age, you made a vow that you would and needed to take care of yourself. A knife pierced your heart years later when your mother told you several times that she did not realize you had needs as a child, but she knew your brothers had needs and focused on them. You are not worthless. You are worthy of being nurtured and cared for.
God’s Truth
Unlike my parents’ sometimes vague expectations, God gave us clear directions for what we need to do. Although I had participated in Bible studies, I had not taken into my heart the Lord’s words in the Scriptures. His words were head knowledge but not heart knowledge until He spoke to my heart and showed me I was striving for what He had freely given me when I accepted Jesus.
Now I know when we accept Jesus, He is with us and will never leave us. We are good enough because of Jesus who lives in us. He removes our sins and mistakes when we confess them. Our sufficiency comes from God, not from our efforts and striving. The Lord does not condemn us and is not holding our sins against us once we confess and repent. Psalm 103 tells us God removes our transgressions as far as the east is from the west. The enemy condemns us with lies. The Lord wants us to live in the freedom Jesus came to give us.
Why I’m Not Good Enough Is a Lie
Jesus promised that He would not abandon us when the world would see Him no more. He said Father God would send the Holy Spirit, the Helper, in His name. In John 14:20, Jesus said, “In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.” Christ dwells in us when we accept Him as our Savior.
Apostle Paul declared the following truths:
“Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” (2 Corinthians 3:5).
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1–2).
God accepts our imperfections. When He looks at us, He sees the perfection of His Son, Jesus. He sees us not as we are, but as we are becoming—not as I am and not as you are, but more like Him. We are more than good enough.
Later in my journaling time on that fall day in 2018, the Lord told me He restored what the enemy had stolen when I believed lies. He said He was a redeemer and had been preparing me for ministry. I am secure in who I am in Christ. He removed the daggers in my heart from words spoken over me and words I had misinterpreted. He can do the same for you. Ask Him to speak to your heart.
Believe “I’m Good Enough”
The acrostic for GOOD may help you remember how the Lord sees you.
G—Good enough: You are valued because of what Jesus did on the cross. God surrounds His children with unconditional love. You are His beloved child, accepted and cherished.
O—Overcomer is your identity: As a believer, the Lord has given you the power to break free from the lie I’m not good enough.
O—Offered Forgiveness: Through Jesus, we are promised forgiveness when we repent. The chains of past mistakes no longer bind us.
D—Delighted in by God: You were fearfully and wonderfully designed by God, as it is written in Psalm 139. He planned you before creation and knows everything about you.
Remember, the truth is that you are good enough because Christ dwells in you. Your sufficiency comes from God, not from your efforts. Embrace your identity in Him and live with the confidence that you are loved, accepted, and more than enough.
Now it is your turn. Have you believed that you were not good enough? Which scriptures will you seek to support God’s view of you?
Be sure to leave your thoughts on our Facebook Group Healing Prayer Discussion.
Blessings,
Gena
* Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV).
**Editor’s Note: This post, originally published on October 16, 2023, was revamped for comprehensiveness.
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