You Do Matter and Here Is Why.
Fill in the blank: “I’m not ____________enough”
We all have something that we put in there. I’m not “good”enough. I’m not outgoing enough. I’m not pretty/handsome enough. I’m not bubbly enough. I’m not smart enough. I’m not skinny enough. I’m not good at that. I’m too loud. I’m too unstable. I’m too scared. And the list goes on.
We all have something that we constantly beat ourselves up for and we all have that one thing about us that it seems like no matter how hard we try it will never go away. We will always struggle in school. We will always have to try harder with small talk. We will always have that struggle that seems like it will never go away.
Sometimes it seems that we can get so caught up in all the things we aren’t or can’t do that we diminish the value of what we have to offer. I know I do. And of course around this time of year, it may seem like our “not enough” whispers are louder than ever. Because we like to convince ourselves that we are single because we are not enough. We may find ourselves telling ourselves that certain people won’t like us just as a person because we are not enough. Unfortunately, that may be true in some cases but that’s not in our control and we shouldn’t let it impact how we see ourselves. We hear multiple voices telling us that there’s something wrong with us (aside from being a sinner-which we all are-but that’s another topic) and we need to become less of who we are and become someone that we think someone would want. I want to tell you right now that that’s a big fat lie.
The truth is God designed us to be who we are in Christ for a reason. When we look at ourselves and complain to God that “He should’ve made us a certain way instead” it’s like a slap in the face to God. I know that’s harsh sounding but it’s the truth.
Lately, I’ve been realizing the importance that we play in the Body of Christ as a whole. See, it’s so easy for us to think about how we lack certain gifts or how dissatisfied we are with the gifts God has given us. We look at the young man who is so good at loving people & compare him to how we aren’t as good at reaching out to others the way he does. We are good at singing and can lead worship well but we don’t do so hot when it comes to mingling with people in our church or on our campus after we’re done leading. Or maybe we compare ourselves to the young woman who is full of wisdom and seems like she has all the answers. We can listen well and encourage others but we aren’t always the one in Bible Study to raise some mind blowing point or know exactly how to respond to something a fellow member mentions. We can struggle to see the value in the gifts He has given us.
I want you to think about a band. Each person has a different instrument. Each singer a different voice part. Now, imagine if the band was all made up of guitars. (ok, that’d be pretty sweet-but any who stick with me here). If the band was all guitars there would be no one to sing the song. No one to play drums or piano. And the song wouldn’t sound the same. If all the voices sung the same voice part it would sound good still but it wouldn’t sound as beautiful without all the different harmonies. In the same way, if we all were gifted in wisdom and discernment we wouldn’t be able to encourage one another. If so many of us were super outgoing and always reaching out to people we would not be able to reach people who want to be reached out to more calmly and might be intimidated by people who are more boisterous. On the flipside, the outgoing person can reach people the quiet person can’t because they are able to reach them better. There needs to be a balance.
I think that sometimes we try to be a super Christian. We think we can do it all. We can be on the worship team, reach out in the city on Wednesday nights, lead a Bible Study, be a good listener, a good encourager, be full of wisdom and be a great teacher. There’s so many other gifts I could add to the list and qualities in people. But we aren’t supposed to be super Christian. We are called to be who we are uniquely in Christ and to use the gifts and abilities that God has given us. There may be times were we will be in situations where we are pushed out of our comfort zones in our gifts and He will help us through that and guide us. But really, we have to learn to accept how He has uniquely gifted us and use those gifts.
One of my favorite pieces of art to see is “Water Lilies” by Monet at the Museum of Modern Art. The thing I love about it is that when you look closely at it and stay focused on a single part, all you see is a blurriness of color, but when you step back and see the entire canvas-it’s incredible. The blurs make this beautiful portrait that stretches out across an entire wall. The body of Christ is like this incredible, elaborate painting filled with different colors that makes the coolest picture in the world if we could ever step back and take a look at it.
It may be hard for you to see the value in the gifts He has given you or the way that He has designed you. You may see yourself as just a guitar or a blurry splotch of purple on a canvas that doesn’t have much to offer. But I want you to be reminded today that you do matter. You do have something to offer. You play an important part in God’s mission to draw others to Him and He can use you no matter what you lack as long as you are willing.
“The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.” –1 Corinthians 12: 21-25
I'd encourage you to spend some time reading through 1 Corinthians 12 at some point today or this weekend. Know that you are crafted the way you are for a purpose and that your unique talents and gifts have a purpose even if you might think that they are too small. You are important. You are so much more than not "enough".
We all have something that we put in there. I’m not “good”enough. I’m not outgoing enough. I’m not pretty/handsome enough. I’m not bubbly enough. I’m not smart enough. I’m not skinny enough. I’m not good at that. I’m too loud. I’m too unstable. I’m too scared. And the list goes on.
We all have something that we constantly beat ourselves up for and we all have that one thing about us that it seems like no matter how hard we try it will never go away. We will always struggle in school. We will always have to try harder with small talk. We will always have that struggle that seems like it will never go away.
Sometimes it seems that we can get so caught up in all the things we aren’t or can’t do that we diminish the value of what we have to offer. I know I do. And of course around this time of year, it may seem like our “not enough” whispers are louder than ever. Because we like to convince ourselves that we are single because we are not enough. We may find ourselves telling ourselves that certain people won’t like us just as a person because we are not enough. Unfortunately, that may be true in some cases but that’s not in our control and we shouldn’t let it impact how we see ourselves. We hear multiple voices telling us that there’s something wrong with us (aside from being a sinner-which we all are-but that’s another topic) and we need to become less of who we are and become someone that we think someone would want. I want to tell you right now that that’s a big fat lie.
The truth is God designed us to be who we are in Christ for a reason. When we look at ourselves and complain to God that “He should’ve made us a certain way instead” it’s like a slap in the face to God. I know that’s harsh sounding but it’s the truth.
Lately, I’ve been realizing the importance that we play in the Body of Christ as a whole. See, it’s so easy for us to think about how we lack certain gifts or how dissatisfied we are with the gifts God has given us. We look at the young man who is so good at loving people & compare him to how we aren’t as good at reaching out to others the way he does. We are good at singing and can lead worship well but we don’t do so hot when it comes to mingling with people in our church or on our campus after we’re done leading. Or maybe we compare ourselves to the young woman who is full of wisdom and seems like she has all the answers. We can listen well and encourage others but we aren’t always the one in Bible Study to raise some mind blowing point or know exactly how to respond to something a fellow member mentions. We can struggle to see the value in the gifts He has given us.
I want you to think about a band. Each person has a different instrument. Each singer a different voice part. Now, imagine if the band was all made up of guitars. (ok, that’d be pretty sweet-but any who stick with me here). If the band was all guitars there would be no one to sing the song. No one to play drums or piano. And the song wouldn’t sound the same. If all the voices sung the same voice part it would sound good still but it wouldn’t sound as beautiful without all the different harmonies. In the same way, if we all were gifted in wisdom and discernment we wouldn’t be able to encourage one another. If so many of us were super outgoing and always reaching out to people we would not be able to reach people who want to be reached out to more calmly and might be intimidated by people who are more boisterous. On the flipside, the outgoing person can reach people the quiet person can’t because they are able to reach them better. There needs to be a balance.
I think that sometimes we try to be a super Christian. We think we can do it all. We can be on the worship team, reach out in the city on Wednesday nights, lead a Bible Study, be a good listener, a good encourager, be full of wisdom and be a great teacher. There’s so many other gifts I could add to the list and qualities in people. But we aren’t supposed to be super Christian. We are called to be who we are uniquely in Christ and to use the gifts and abilities that God has given us. There may be times were we will be in situations where we are pushed out of our comfort zones in our gifts and He will help us through that and guide us. But really, we have to learn to accept how He has uniquely gifted us and use those gifts.
One of my favorite pieces of art to see is “Water Lilies” by Monet at the Museum of Modern Art. The thing I love about it is that when you look closely at it and stay focused on a single part, all you see is a blurriness of color, but when you step back and see the entire canvas-it’s incredible. The blurs make this beautiful portrait that stretches out across an entire wall. The body of Christ is like this incredible, elaborate painting filled with different colors that makes the coolest picture in the world if we could ever step back and take a look at it.
It may be hard for you to see the value in the gifts He has given you or the way that He has designed you. You may see yourself as just a guitar or a blurry splotch of purple on a canvas that doesn’t have much to offer. But I want you to be reminded today that you do matter. You do have something to offer. You play an important part in God’s mission to draw others to Him and He can use you no matter what you lack as long as you are willing.
“The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.” –1 Corinthians 12: 21-25
I'd encourage you to spend some time reading through 1 Corinthians 12 at some point today or this weekend. Know that you are crafted the way you are for a purpose and that your unique talents and gifts have a purpose even if you might think that they are too small. You are important. You are so much more than not "enough".
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