We’re starting chapter 3 of Lies Women Believe by Nancy Leigh DeMoss today for our Summer Online Bible Study! If you didn’t download chapter 2’s handout, get it here.
Download the handout here –> Lies Women Believe About Themselves Handout
The other day I got off the treadmill at 5:48 in the morning. It was the first time back after a long winter hiatus from running. I accomplished my plan of getting up early. That was a positive. And I was on the treadmill for 30 minutes – the goal I had set for myself that day. But despite getting up early and meeting my goal time, I still couldn’t get one thought out of my mind.
I didn’t run the whole time. A few times I stopped and walked.
I call myself a runner because if I’m going to exercise I’m going to run. You get the most bang-for-your-buck with running and for someone who would rather not exercise, running is the way to go in my opinion. I don’t call myself a runner because you won’t see me in 20 degree weather crushing snow in running shoes. Nope. If it’s not at least 55 degrees I’m not happy about running. So I can’t be put in the “runner” category with those who pound the pavements season after season even though they live in North Dakota. Those are the real runners.
Even though I might be in the “casual runner” category, I still like the thrill of going a little farther, beating my fastest time, and buying new running shoes. And I’m a casual runner whose perfectionism is not lost on the treadmill or on the pavement.
Once I start, I don’t like to stop until I’m done.
A few years ago I ran a half marathon. I didn’t care about my time during that race. I didn’t even care who finished before me. All I cared about was that I didn’t stop running. That was my goal, and that day I accomplished my goal. I ran for over 13 miles, and I never stopped to walk. Slowed down? Yes. Stopped? No.
I sat on the floor, that morning at 5:48, and untying my shoes I felt like a failure. “Why did I even get up early?” I asked myself. “It wasn’t worth it. I’ll never be good enough again.”
This is not the first time I’ve had an all-or-nothing approach to my life – a mentality that I have to be perfect and perform perfectly or else all is worthless. Most of the time I feel I’m not good enough.
But do you know, every time I’ve thought these words I’ve been right. I’ll never be good enough because my standards for myself are too high. In many ways they’re even higher than God’s for me.
I’ve come to realize that this “I’ll never be good enough” attitude is really a disquised form of pride. By setting my standards higher than God’s standards for me, and then trying to accomplish them in my own effort, I’m declaring that my ways are higher than God’s ways, and I’m good enough to do life on my own.
This is why I desperately need Jesus.
The Cross fills the gap for our imperfections. It allows us to be ourselves – imperfect but redeemed people who are constantly on the journey to holiness. But we live as though our personal standards for ourselves, and even sometimes other people’s standards for us, are higher than God’s grace. We think that we must make things happen in our lives when really we can’t. Only God’s grace through us can.
Are you telling yourself this same lie – I’ll never be good enough? Go ahead and admit that it’s true, and then allow that truth to send you to Jesus who makes you good enough.
Talk to me . . . what lies about yourself do you believe?
Use the handout above and the outline in this post to replace your lies with truth.
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