The Grace of Being Good Enough

I have experienced the feeling of never being good enough. It eats at you and leaves an empty pit where joy could be. 

Whether it came from living in a society that criticizes women or a more conservative church culture repeatedly calling me a “sinner,” the feeling would creep back up. Sometimes, no matter who I was or how much I accomplished, it did not seem to matter. 

I got stuck in the perfectionist trap. As Brene Brown puts it, “I am a recovering perfectionist addict.” The never-enough feeling was wrapped in a perfectionist coping mechanism, giving me more stress.

Have you struggled with never being good enough?  It is an endless cycle of unrealistic expectations. You have to constantly improve because you feel you are not good enough. 

They aren’t pretty enough. They aren’t smart enough. They don’t do enough. 

“Keeping up with the Joneses” leaves you feeling empty. 

Or have you struggled with the expectations of perfection society places upon us? We are judged based on how we look, what we say, who we are, and even what we possess. 

Everything around us must be “perfect.” We only feel safe when we meet some sense of “perfection.”

Our society thrives on this. It pushes on our fears and insecurities, selling us some solution to our “problem.” I have witnessed the harmful effects on my own life, relationships and those around me. 

Here is the heart-breaking truth: perfection does not exist. We are being sold a lie. 

All I have to say to this is, “I am done.” I am done being told I am not good enough for myself or others. I am done believing what society tells me. 

There has to be a way to find a sense of worth outside of self-help books, the media, and current ideals. In my searching, I found something in the words “good enough.” 

When I first think of the word “good,” I turn to Genesis 1, where our Creator calls their creations “good.” Even after all the corruption, God still finds a way to love us. 

Humanity was not called “perfect” or “evil.” We were called “good.” 

What if we carry God’s perception of us into our sense of selves and relationships? How would our perceptions change by seeing the goodness within?

To me, good kills any sting of perfection idealism. The word “good” means we can be real in our humanity and mistakes. We are set free to value ourselves over cultural teachings. 

While the feeling of never being good enough still may come around, we know our failures do not limit us. Instead, they can show us just how good enough we are. 

Imperfections can be worn as a badge of honor. In the place of shame or self-hatred, we practice the grace of being good enough.

Following the Creator’s words, we value the goodness of all creation. Our worth becomes based on how our Maker sees us, not the world or our own strength.

In a complicated and dark world, we choose to see the goodness within us and others, going beyond secular standards and judgments.

Being good enough means seeing the realness, imperfections and beauty within. It means accepting every flaw and “weakness,” realizing those are elements of what makes us “good enough.”

There are many people who need to hear this. Our Maker created you as you are, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. You are good enough.