Am I good enough?

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Updated - February 9, 2025

The question "Am I good enough..." is probably one that everyone asks themselves in life. It is probably one of the most profound questions we ask ourselves. It affects our self-esteem, our relationship with others and our relationship with God.

The search for an answer leads us to reflect on our strengths and weaknesses, our moral standards and our purpose in life. From a biblical perspective, this question offers an invitation to consider our humanity in connection with God's view of us.

The certificate

Before we get analytically into the subject, let's start with an episode from my life, because I am no stranger to this question either:

My youth was characterized by certainly well-meaning prohibitions and my mother's inescapable overzealous determination that I should "become something". A Dr. jur. would be fine, but a Dr. med. would also be perfectly acceptable. After my grades at the humanistic grammar school, with the foreign languages Latin, English and French, left a lot to be desired from my mother's point of view and in no way did justice to the Numerus Clausus at that time, so that the dream of a Dr. disappeared for ever, but my interest in technology at least offered the vague probability of at least achieving a Dipl. Ing., this goal was pursued vehemently. Practice, practice, practice was the order of the day - even during the vacations.

One summer, we were about to go on vacation to Austria for three weeks, and the report card made me think there was no chance of a practice-free period. So I got myself two plastic bags and neatly placed the report between two cardboard backs of writing pads, put it in the first bag and put the second bag over it to prevent any moisture from penetrating.
On the way home, there was a plot of land with a large, barely used garden behind a high wrought-iron fence. Lots of leaves covered the loose soil. An ideal hiding place. I quickly pushed aside the leaves and the top layer of soil, buried the troublesome object in the bags, covered it with leaves and that was that.
Beforehand, of course, I had inoculated those classmates in case my mother asked if we had not received the certificates, that they would give the same information.

When I got home, the first question was, as expected, "And...?", followed by my answer "Nothing, we won't get it until after the vacations!" My mother with a visibly annoyed and incredulous expression: "You don't believe that yourself!" To which I replied with the greatest possible equanimity and avoiding the slightest blush, "You can call the others ..."

She didn't call - the vacation, free of practice, was saved! But at what cost!

A few weeks before her sudden and unforeseeable death, she said to me in an evening conversation that she had probably done a lot of things wrong in my upbringing. My answer was: "You didn't do anything wrong, even if you would have liked to revise some of your decisions later and make a different one. It's normal to make decisions based on your current level of knowledge, but in retrospect, taking into account the additional experiences you've had, you come to a different conclusion. Hardly anyone will deliberately act against their better judgment, especially not parents who usually focus on the child's welfare.

She could have made a good thirty years of our lives much more pleasant and communicative with this dialog if she had let it happen much earlier. But well, some things take time, it would only be desirable to internalize this realization as early as possible and not wait until shortly before the end.

The scale

What is actually our benchmark that defines whether we are good enough or not?

the secular ...

In our society, "good enough" is often measured by external criteria: Success, beauty, achievement, recognition. Many people feel that they do not meet these expectations. Those who cannot keep up quickly feel inferior.

However, these standards are often unattainable and can lead to an endless pursuit of perfection. This creates an inner pressure that can obscure people's true value.

... and the divine

The Bible offers a radically different perspective. At its center is the message of God's unconditional love. In Psalm 139:14 (Schlachter) it says: "I thank you that I am amazingly and wonderfully made; wonderful are your works, and my soul recognizes this well!„
These words remind us that our value does not depend on our performance or on other people, but on the fact that we are God's creatures.

We also encounter this message in the New Testament. Jesus Christ did not come to call perfect people, but sinners (cf. Luke 5:32 (Butcher) - "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.").

In the letter to the Romans (3,23-24 (Schlachter)) Paul summarizes this truth:
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."
God does not love us because of our deeds, but IN SPITE of our imperfections. The cross stands as a sign that we are accepted just as we are!

Area of tension - sin and grace

An important point in the Bible is the admission that we as human beings are not "good enough" to stand before God in our own strength.

This truth may seem devastating at first. But it points us to God's grace. In 2 Corinthians 12:9 (Schlachter) God says to Paul: "And he said to me, 'Let my mercy be sufficient for you.“
This statement reverses human standards: It is precisely in our weakness, in our mistakes and shortcomings that God's greatness and love are revealed.

Freedom

When we allow ourselves to be guided by God's love, our view of ourselves changes. We may realize that it is not about perfection, but about living with trust in God. The Bible calls us to seek our identity not in worldly standards, but in Christ (cf. Galatians 2:20 (Butcher) - "I have been crucified with Christ; and now I live, yet no longer I [myself], but Christ lives in me. But what I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."). This leads to a deep inner freedom.

At the same time, it becomes clear that "good enough" in God's eyes does not mean being passive. Rather, we are invited to develop our gifts and serve others. In Micah 6:8 (Schalchter) says:
"You have been told,[5] O man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you: What else but to do justice, practice love and walk humbly with your God?"
Here it becomes clear that our lives have a meaning that goes beyond the question of whether we are "enough". It is about devotion, love and communion with God.

Impulses

Practicing self-acceptance: Accept yourself as a being created and loved by God. Learn to be patient with your weaknesses.

Accept God's grace: Pray and thank God for His love, which is independent of your performance.

Take a different perspective: Ask yourself how God looks at your life instead of letting external standards define you.

Growing in faith: Look for ways to deepen your relationship with God, e.g. through Bible reading, prayer or fellowship with other believers.

Excursus - Self-doubt

She was a young teacher who was passionate about her profession. She not only wanted to impart knowledge to her students, but also to instil values such as respect, honesty and self-confidence. But despite her efforts, she always had the feeling that she wasn't good enough.

Every day she asked herself the same questions: "Am I really doing my job well? Do I deserve this job? Have my students learned anything from me at all?" Especially when a lesson didn't go as planned or a colleague criticized her, she doubted herself.

She saw her colleague who seemed to motivate every pupil effortlessly. Her lessons were exciting, the pupils hung on her every word and she received a lot of praise from the parents. So she asked herself: "Why can't I be like that? Why am I not that good?"

She also felt the pressure in her private life. On social media, she saw friends who seemed to have everything under control, the perfect career, the happy relationship, the fulfilled life, the incredibly beautiful vacations. Every time she saw these images, the thought grew inside her: "I'm not enough."

One day, after an exhausting week, she sat down exhausted on a bench in the schoolyard. A pupil from her class came up to her and said shyly: "I just wanted to say thank you. Because of you, I believe in myself again. I used to think I was stupid, but you've shown me that I can do it!"

She was speechless. How had he come to this? She was only mediocre! But in the eyes of this pupil, she had made THE difference.

In the evening, she read her Bible and came across Isaiah 43:1 „And now, thus says the LORD who created you, Jacob, and who formed you, Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you! I have called you by name; you are mine.„
And then, as if she needed further confirmation, she came across 2 Corinthians 12:9 „And he said to me: "Let my grace be sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will rather boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell with me.„.

She realized that she had only ever focused on her own weaknesses instead of seeing what she was already capable of achieving. She now understood that it is not about being perfect, but about giving the best and trusting that God will bless the - supposedly - little.

From that day on, she began to become more aware that the goals worth striving for were not the self-imposed perfection she was striving for, the strict adherence to the curriculum down to the last detail, but God's pleasure and His ways. She concentrated on doing what she could and leaving the rest to God.

Conclusion

The question "Am I good enough?" is ultimately an invitation to see our own identity in the light of God's love. The Bible shows us that our worth is not measured by external success or perfection, but by the grace and love of God.

In this truth, we not only find comfort, but also freedom and encouragement to shape our lives with confidence. God says to each of us: "You are enough because I love you."