You Are Enough!

“Am I strong? Beautiful? Am I good enough? Do I belong, after all that I've said and done? Is it real when I feel I don't measure up? Am I loved?”

If we’re honest, we have all had those thoughts run through our minds. We feel like we are inadequate, like God could never use us. We tend to think we’ve strayed too far for God to ever love us. I know I’ve had these thoughts plenty of times. I compare myself to everyone else, thinking I’m not as pretty as that girl, or I’m not as smart as that girl. I’ve fallen away from my walk with God many times, and walked in the ways of this world. It was then that I never thought I would measure up and that I wasn’t loved. I placed my value and worth in the opinion of a guy. I let them tell me who I was and who I wasn’t.

As I’m learning and growing in my faith and as a person, I’m starting to see that that’s not where my identity come from. My identity comes from Christ. He formed me in my mother’s womb, and has great plans for me. He created me to be a daughter of the King. I am always enough to Him. I can never do too much to stray away from Him. I am unique and beautiful to Him. He hasn’t called me to ministry because He thought I was qualified, but He is using the things that I think would “disqualify” me to use in the ministry that He has called me to.

So, if you’re reading this and have ever felt this way, this is for you:

You are loved. You are enough. You are worth it. You are beautiful. You are a Child of the King. Your identity is not in the things of this world, in what you have or haven’t done, but it is in Christ alone. Regardless of where you’ve been or where you’re going, you’ve never been outside of God’s love for you. You don’t have to compare yourself to anyone. God’s love for you is unconditional – it doesn’t depend on your decisions, on what you wear, or what grades you have. God knows every part of you, and loves you relentlessly anyways. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. God knows the plans He has for you – plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.

Walk in these promises daily, and remember that no matter where you are, you are enough and you are loved by God.

“I am strong. Beautiful. I am good enough. I belong after all, ‘cause of what You've done. This is real, what I feel. No one made it up. I am loved.”

It's Okay to Be Single!

I’ve always been the girl that thought I needed a boyfriend to be happy. Starting in sixth grade, I always had some kind of middle school “relationship” going on. My freshman year of high school, I was still in that same mentality. Then in February of my freshman year, I started dating a guy and we dated until September of my senior year. So, from sixth grade until halfway through my senior year, all I knew was constantly having a guy in life. And I was always okay with it. To be honest, I loved the attention, and I felt like that was what I needed in life – attention from a guy. After that, I was single for about a year, which was great because I was able to focus on myself during the last few months of high school and all that goes along with that, as well as preparing to move off for college. But I still sought attention from guys, even though I wasn’t looking for a relationship. The June before I left for college, I started dating a guy, and things got serious pretty fast. By September, we were engaged. I was the happiest I’d ever been. I was in a happy, healthy, Christ-centered relationship, and life was good. Moving to college was a huge adjustment, and handling an engagement on top of that was a lot of work, but we made it work for almost two years before we broke up.

I’m not writing this to bash any of my previous relationships, because each one was great while it lasted and I’m the person I am today because of them. However, I’m writing this to let you know that it’s okay to not always be in a relationship. I’m speaking from experience, and if this touches one person, I’ve done my job.

Like I said, I’ve always been the girl to feel like I need a relationship. Until these last couple of months. I’ve grown so much as a person in the last couple of months. I’ve learned that it’s okay to be single. I’m only 20. I have my whole life ahead of me. So, to all of the girls who are seeking attention from guys and finding their worth in a relationship, this is for you.

You are worth so much more than the opinion of any guy. God created you in His image. He knew you before He formed you. He knows the plans He has for you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Seek your identity in God, not in the things of this world. No relationship can take the place that only God can fill in your life. Don’t get me wrong, relationships are great. It’s nice to wake up to “good morning, Beautiful” texts and to get flowers for no reason at all. But, you’re young. You have your whole life ahead of you. You don’t have to be ready to settle down immediately. I know society is always talking about settling down, getting married, having kids, and living the perfect life. First of all, there’s no such thing as a “perfect” life. Second of all, these are the best years of your life. Have fun. Go hang out with friends. Stay up all night binge watching Gilmore Girls and eating Ben and Jerry’s. Focus on you. Grow as a person. Find out who you are. Learn to love yourself before you can love anyone else. Spend time in God’s presence. Strengthen your faith. In the right time, God will let the perfect man come into your life to love you unconditionally. Until then, it’s okay to be single!