The Foolishness of Knowing that You can be 'Good Enough.'
“You see, I am beginning to desire to be different – someone who is kind, dedicated, loyal, and above all, a disciple of Jesus. In all aspects of my life…I desire to be like Him.”
Does that quote sound like a person who is confident, or confused? Does it sound like someone who knows her identity, or someone struggling with self-worth, value and direction?
We live in a world where people struggle with identity. We struggle with identity because it becomes rooted in things like money, a job, a car, Facebook ‘likes’ or Instagram followers. Those things aren’t necessarily bad in and of themselves, but the challenge with basing your worth on those things, or things like them, is that you never have enough, and therefore you begin to think that you can never be good enough. But what if you could have an identity like the 18 y/o who wrote the words that began this post? What if your identity wasn’t based in the things of the world, and being good enough for people in this world? What if your identity was rooted in your relationship with God and the things He is concerned about? What if, instead of trying to be good enough for the world, you actually were good enough for God? Is that possible, or just foolish thinking?
Let me introduce you to Carly. She’s the student who wrote the opening quote. Carly is a student at our church. When she was younger, she became a Christian. She repented of her sins, confessed her belief in Jesus, and was baptized to show others her commitment to Jesus and His teachings. She also works a part-time job, runs cross country, volunteers in church and mentors others about their belief in Jesus, among other things. Carly’s belief in Jesus helps her navigate through the difficult waters of teenage life and more importantly, it allows her to know who she is – a Christian guided by the realities of Easter!
As Carly finishes high school she, like others, is trying to figure out what to do next. She has a plan that she hopes will help her to succeed in life, but she’s not just basing it on the college she attends or the major she will focus on. Instead her outlook is different, “This life isn’t necessarily about me or my personal dreams; is it a platform in which we can glorify our Creator. In order to ‘succeed’ in this, I must surrender my desires at the foot of the cross and pursue the character, and will, of Christ every single day. Until the day I die, that is and will continue to be my life’s main passion.”
Is Carly right? Can you really find your identity and purpose in life by following Jesus, or is that just too foolish to believe?
Here’s the realty of Easter – YOU AREN’T GOOD ENOUGH! In fact, you can never be good enough unless you believe in Jesus, after all, Easter is about Jesus! The Bible says that no one is good enough because of sin (Romans 3:10-18). Easter is the celebration of Jesus Christ conquering death in order that people can have their sins forgiven, “For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring you to God, after being put to death in the fleshly realm but made alive in the spiritual realm” (1 Peter 3:18). So, the only way you can ever be good enough is because of what Jesus did!
The world will pull you into the lie that wants to base your worth on things like fame, prestige, money, accolades and more, but don’t believe the lie! The only way you can be good enough is by believing in Jesus!
What do you think? Can you be good enough because of Jesus, or is it just too foolish to believe?
Next Time: The Foolishness of Thinking, “It’s good enough for my kids, but not me.”
Previous Posts:
#1: A Foolish Thing