Any women out there struggle with the thought, I’m not good enough? Or, I’m not enough…period?
What about, I’m not good enough for God? Surely God can’t love someone like me – after all, I’m so….flawed. Join the club, sister! Do you ever have questions about what faith in God is really all about? Ever doubt? I regularly talk to women who are drowning in guilt simply because they have doubts about God, faith, and the concept of grace. Well, guess what; that’s part of being a human being! We have minds. Our minds think. They question. They wonder. God gave us our minds; our questions are no surprise to Him. We learn by asking questions, by exploring, by being curious. Go ahead…ask.
Girlfriends, this particular blog post is especially for you, because I want to tell you about a book that a friend of mine authored just for women on this very subject. (Sorry, guys, perhaps I’ll write a blog post just for you someday, but for now, I’m talking to the ladies out there.) Being female is great, but let’s face it, there is A LOT of pressure to be perfect. Am I right, girls? There is a cultural push for women to be all things to all people. Can you feel it? Like an undertow, invisible, but powerfully present, the constant subconscious messages to be the best, try harder, do more….and it still never feels like enough. Enough! It’s exhausting. And you know what? No one is good at everything!
When’s the last time someone told you that you are enough, just as you are?
Hope whispers, you are enough.
If you’re feeling weary from trying to figure it all out, and still maintain that good enough status, then you are going to love my friend, Jenny Lee Sulpizio’s, new book, For the Love of God: A Woman’s Guide to Finding Faith and Getting Grace. Jenny’s honest, gut-level, gritty way of telling the truth, while wrapping you up in a blanket of grace, will speak tenderly to your weary heart. Jenny boldly states in her book, “Maybe it’s time to stop ignoring God and start embracing Him instead.” If you’re looking for an authentic account of the faith journey, her book is the real deal.
Early on in my own faith journey, I too, struggled with the nagging feeling that I had to earn God’s love and grace – to be “good enough” in order to have a relationship with Him. I soon discovered that the quest for good enough is like chasing vapor. Illusive. Unattainable. I am honored to be a contributing author to Jenny’s book; it is filled with stories of women, just like you and me, who have struggled with “good enough”. Each of their stories reflects their own personal wrestling match with doubts and insecurities, and eventually, the victory of discovering peace instead of perfection. Want some peace in your life? Stop trying to be perfect.
Perfection is a moving target.
You don’t have to be perfect in order for God to love you. You don’t have to be good enough to enjoy grace. You just have to accept that God is good enough for you. The work has already been done for you. In a performance driven world, that’s difficult for us type-A, over achievers to accept. But that’s what grace is all about. Not sure what I’m talking about? Get a copy of Jenny’s book and you’ll get “it”. In fact, you may not even have to buy the book.
I am going to give away two copies of Jenny’s book, For the Love of God, this month. Just post a comment on my blog; tell me why you would like to read more about finding faith and getting grace, and you will be entered to win. I’ll post the names of the winners on my blog November 30th. In the meantime, if you can’t wait until the end of the month, to see if you won, and you want to start reading her book right now, you can find For the Love of God: A Woman’s Guide to Finding Faith and Getting Grace by Jenny Lee Sulpizio, on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Love-God-Womans-Finding-Getting/dp/0891126570/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416214324&sr=8-1&keywords=jenny+lee+sulpizio
And while you’re waiting to see if you won, just for today, give yourself permission to be imperfekt.
Then, take inventory of how you feel tomorrow, after you’ve spent a day living in a state of grace. Chances are, it will feel so good that you will want to live in a state of grace tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that. Finding faith and getting grace are daily adventures. One day at a time, you may just be able to let go of the quest for perfection, redefine good enough, and start experiencing a little piece of peace all your own.
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