Lies We Believe: “I’m Not Good Enough!” 

June 7, 2024 

We’re in a message series called, “Lies we Believe.” Next week we’ll finish the series with a very common lie, which is we believe that we are what we do. How I perform is who I am. Today we’re going to look at a lie that so many of us believe: “I’m not good enough.” It has affected me. Sometimes I think, I’m not a good enough parent, or not a good enough family member or friend.  As a minister, sometimes it’s I don’t feel like I’m good enough as a pastor. 

Many years ago, when I was starting the process to become a minister, my mentor, who was my pastor in Ohio, said I should wear a suit to meet with the church in ministry committee. I got a suit; I think from a thrift store. My pastor was on this committee. He told me after the meeting that the committee thought I looked old-fashioned!  

One of those things that sticks in my memory. I wondered, was I not good enough? Did I not look like a pastor? I tried, but maybe my best isn’t good enough. I don’t remember if I got a different suit, but eventually they did approve me for ministry! 

If you ever felt that way, that you weren’t good enough, I want to show you a hero of faith who also felt he wasn’t good enough.  

We’re talking about Moses! Moses had been through some rough things when God first spoke to him from burning bush. As a baby, Moses’ Mom put him in basket and floated him down a river so that he would not be killed. Pharoah, the king of Egypt, hated the Hebrews. He thought there were too many of them. He decided to kill all the Hebrew baby boys. Pharoah’s daughter, of all people, saved baby Moses’ life. She saw him floating down the river and thought he was cute. Moses was raised in the Egyptian palace; he lived a privileged life. But he knew he was Hebrew. He knew his adoptive grandfather had ordered him and all the other Hebrew boys to die as babies. Moses felt sorry for his people, the Hebrew slaves. Once he killed an Egyptian soldier for mistreating a slave. When he realized people had seen him do it, and that Pharoah wanted to kill him, Moses ran far away. He believed the lie, “I’m not good enough.” He figured he was too messed up to ever help the Hebrews.  

Have you ever felt you’re not good enough? It could be because of something someone said that made you feel bad. They might not have known their words affected you. You really took it to heart and thought, “I’m not good enough.” It could be, like Moses, you did something you thought you could get in big trouble for. If you think you’re not good enough the good news is, God thinks you are. 

God considered Moses good enough. God got his attention with a burning bush and that did not burn up. Moses went over to it and God spoke to him. He said, I am the God of your father. I heard the cries of the Hebrews in slavery. I will bring them out to a better land. So go, I am sending you to Pharoah to bring my people out of Egypt. Moses says, “Who am I to do this?” I’m not good enough.  

God said, it’s ok, I’ll be with you. Moses says, what if the Israelites ask me your name? God says, tell them, “I am who I am.” Just tell them “The Lord has sent me.” And God lays out for Moses the plan of how they will escape. 

Moses says, “What if they don’t believe me or listen to me, or they say I never saw you.” Then God gives Moses power to work signs, like to turn his staff into a snake. Even with this power, Moses thinks he isn’t good enough. He says, “Lord, I am slow of speech and tongue.”  

God says, Who gives a person a mouth? Isn’t it me? I will help you speak and teach you what to say. Did God convince Moses? NO! Moses says, “O Lord, please send someone else to do it.” Moses still thinks he’s not good enough! 

God is angry at him and says, your brother Aaron speaks well. I’ll help you both, and Aaron will speak to the people. That’s finally the end of Moses arguing with God! Moses gets to work. It turns out, he is good enough! He turns out to be a hero of our faith! If you want to increase your faith in God, step out to do what God asks you to. Serving God, even when you don’t think you’re worthy, makes your faith in God bigger.  

When you say, “I’m not good enough.” You’re saying, “God can’t do anything good through me.” When you say yes to God, even with Moses-type doubt, it’s grows your faith because you see what God can do through you! 

Really, none of us are good enough. We all have faults, failures, and things we wish we could do over. There is no one who can stand up and say, “I’m good enough!” We all sin and we all need God. God calls us to follow and serve him, not because we are good. He calls us because He is all good and all loving, and that is enough for him to work through sinners like you and me. When we see God come through, we know it was him, we feel his power. 

I’m teaching confirmation classes this summer; the first time Trinity and St. Peter’s youth are together. We had a really good class on worship! The youth really enjoyed looking for symbols, they searched all of Trinity for Christian symbols! During the second class, I lost my lesson plan! It went badly! After that class God helped me find the lessons from summer two years ago. That was very helpful, and we had a really good class! The next class was a fun day and we had a great time! Because of this experience, I know I am weak! I can bomb on a lesson. But God can make things go really well, when I get out there and keep trying to follow him.  

I want to give you some inspiring thoughts so you believe you are good enough: You are called by Christ. You are so incredibly special that Jesus is thinking about you. He’s going to take care of you. Jesus said, “Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I’ll give you rest.” You are good enough and God loves you! 

You are capable through Christ. In Philippians 4:13 Paul says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” So many times we are trying to do things in our own strength, and failing. When we invite God in, all of a sudden we can do all things, through his strength!’ 

The last thought is you are complete in Christ. 2 Peter 1:3 says, “God’s divine power has given you everything that you need.” Sometimes we think the perfect partner will complete us. Or we think things we can buy will complete us. But they leave us wanting more. Christ completes us. In him you have everything you need!  

You are called by Christ, capable through Christ, and complete in Christ. You are set free from what holds you back. Let’s move on from the past!  

My challenge for you this week is to tell someone near you: You are good enough! You are! God has big plans in store for you. If you want to increase your faith in what God can do through you, step out and do what God calls you to. You are more than good enough to do God’s work. When you follow God’s call, you will see the power of God doing incredible things through you. Amen.