Ladies Corner
No Matter What I Do
Too often, the same feeling returns: No matter what I do, it’ll never be good enough. And I know I’m not the only one. Even my 5-year-old has cried that she’ll “never” get things right. Sometimes I just don’t have the right answer, and my best guess doesn’t work out. Sometimes I work hard and do everything I can, and life throws in a monkey wrench so that things STILL don’t work out, it STILL isn’t “good enough.” And as much as I remind myself (and my daughter) to look at all the things that DID go right instead of the one or two things that went wrong, it doesn’t change the feeling that, no matter what I do, things will still go wrong - and it will somehow be my fault.
But is that how God sees me? Is my Savior as ready to give up on me as I am? NO! Far from it! “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). In God’s eyes, no matter what I do, it will never be bad enough to make Him stop loving me. “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). No matter what I do, He will always want to save my soul.
Consider some of Jesus’ most faithful followers. Peter denied even knowing Jesus three times (Luke 22:54-62). Paul literally and intentionally persecuted Jesus by having as many Christians as possible executed. Paul calls himself “formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man” (1 Timothy 1:13) and goes on to say that we can look to him as a pattern. “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life” (1 Timothy 1:15-16). If Christ forgave Paul for blasphemy and persecution, how can I think I’m somehow a lost cause because I left laundry piled on the couch again, or lost my temper at my children’s endless questions?
So is it true that, no matter what I do, I will never be good enough? No!
And yes. There is more to learn from Paul’s example. He did not use his confidence in Jesus as an excuse to do nothing, but as a reason to work harder. “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14).
Peter offers similar advice in 2 Peter 1:5-11. He gives a whole list of qualities that we can add to our faith, “giving all diligence” (verse 5). I will never be so good that I cannot grow, and I should always be diligent to grow as much as I can.
Jesus told his apostles, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). That is one of His easiest and hardest teachings. It is so very easy to understand, but so very hard to do! Keeping His commandments requires a daily commitment to not only learn His commandments, but to work - hard - following them. Of course I will make mistakes, but I can learn from them so that, each day, I make fewer mistakes than the day before.
So the next time you feel like you will never be good enough, remember this: no matter what you do, God will always love you. But also remember that what you do still matters!
