Not Good Enough

Christian Hjortland
Director & Speaker, Empower Missions
A heart broken girl with cutting marks all over her arms not good
enough. A young man that escaped from home, spending all money on
party and drugs not good enough. An adult that has struggled with
health all his life, that hindered him from pursuing his dreams not good
enough.
Have you ever felt that you are not good enough? Not good enough in
your family, among friends, in society, in school, or perhaps not good
enough at your job. These issues may be related or unrelated to an even
worse condition: Not feeling good enough for God!
The Heart is Deceitful
How many there are who think they are not good enough to come to
Christ. (SC 31) It is true that the heart is deceitful above all things, and
desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9).
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his
own way (Isaiah 53:6). We are all in the same boat. We have all turned
away from the Shepherd, left the path of righteousness, searching for the
missing piece of true joy somewhere else. However, Isaiah 53:6 doesnt
end on that note, it continues: and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity
of us all. (emphasis added) While we chose the way to destruction, Jesus
took upon Him the sins of us all!
You might say that it doesnt apply to you, because you have sunk so
deep into trouble that you are still not good enough for Jesus, and that
there is no hope for you. Lets see what else the Scripture says.
My Sin is Too Great!
Some feel that they have sinned so much that they can no longer return
to God. Maybe you are afraid you might have committed the
unpardonable sin (sin against the Holy Spirit) being regretful for certain
bad decisions in your life. This in itself serves as an evidence that the
Spirit is working on you, and thus God has not left you. You see, the Spirit
was sent to convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of
judgment. (John 16:8)
Look at Paul a blasphemer, persecutor, and murderer. He stated with
confidence:
This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15,
KJV)
Paul repented and God used him mightily to take the gospel to the world.
What You Are Worth

Imagine that I have a 100 Euro bill in my hand, giving it to you. Do you
want it? Of course! Lets say I crumple it together so it gets ugly. Still want
it? Im sure you do! Now I put it on the ground and jump on it, and its full
of dust. Why would you want it?
Because it has the same value! No matter how wrinkled and dusty it is, it
is still a 100 Euro bill.
How much are you worth? 1000 Euros? 100 000 Euros?
You are worth the Son of God giving up the glory and honor in heaven,
coming down to this dark sinful earth, dying for you. What an immense
value! And more so, the Father let go of His Son, risking everything to
save humanity. As the shepherd left the 99 sheep to look for the one lost
sheep, Jesus would have died even if it was only for you.
God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that
the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:17) We were already
condemned before He came, because of our sin.
What to do?
Mary Magdalene was a woman of bad reputation, of whom Jesus cast out
seven evil spirits. Commentators believe she was the woman caught in
adultery in John ch. 8.
Jesus had pardoned her sins, and she wanted to show him gratitude. She
had heard him speaking of His death. So she bought a very costly perfume
and started to anoint him. She fell weeping at His feet, and washed them
with her tears and wiped them with her long hair. The best place you can
be when you are in trouble is at the feet of Jesus.
Claim this great promise:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9, KJV, emphasis added) It
doesnt matter how sinful you may feel, because where sin increased,
grace increased all the more. (Rom 5:20, NIV) For if our heart condemns
us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. (1 John 3:20)
The poor publican prayed, "God be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:13).
He regarded himself as a very wicked man, and others looked upon him in
the same light. In himself, he did not feel good enough, yet he felt a need
and took his only chance. With a burden of guilt and shame he came
before God, asking for His mercy. What a great contrast to the Pharisees
boastful, self-righteous prayer!
Consider this interesting quote from Ellen White:
There are some lessons that are never learned only through failure. Peter
was a better man after his fall. The Lord permits his children to fall; and
then, if they repent of their wrongdoing, he helps them to stand on
vantage ground. - RH, December 16, 1902
There was hope for the poor publican, for Paul, Peter and Mary Magdalene,
and there is certainly hope for you my friend, whatever your situation.

If you realize your sinfulness, dont wait to make yourself better. We can
never become better through our own efforts. Only God can help us
through His grace. Go to Christ just as you are, confess your sin, give your
life entirely to Him daily, and He will surely receive you and lead you on
the path of life.
Christian Hjortland is Director & Speaker for Empower Missions, helping
others to living life to the fullest.
Bible texts in NKJV unless otherwise noted.