My parents divorced when I was three. My dad remarried and had a family. He was happy. For years, I thought … I wasn’t good enough.
I was a rebellious teenager and had low self-esteem. I made stupid decisions. The divorce, although it may have contributed to my issues, did not give me an excuse to hurt others. These were my choices, and I was a mess.
Then, God completely changed my life. I didn’t deserve it. I met my sweet husband.
We began dating and I told him about all my mistakes. He said, “You’re human. We all make mistakes. God still loves you.” No one had ever said those words to me. I had been judged, others tried to fix me or make excuses for my choices. Not him – He accepted me, the real me, all of me. After that, I understood “grace”. And, I knew he was a keeper!
Fast forward fifteen years and I can finally see the positive that came from a bad situation. The divorce hurt terribly, but I have a bond with my mom that will never be broken – single moms are the hardest working people I know! I have two amazing half-siblings. I was able to make new, wonderful memories with my dad and step-mom, before she suddenly passed away from a stroke. We experienced forgiveness and grace. God created blessings out of my baggage!
In John 4, Jesus stopped at a well and asked a Samaritan woman for water. Back in the day, women generally visited the well in the morning and evening. Jesus met the woman at noon. Many speculate that she wanted to avoid others because they knew her reputation. Do you think she had low self-esteem?
Jesus offers her “living” water so she would never be thirsty again. He’s no longer talking about water, He wants to give His forgiveness and grace. Jesus knows she’s had five husbands and the man she’s currently with is not her husband. He knows her – all of her – but still loves this woman. She believes He is God and shares her story. In verse 39, we learn that many Samaritans believed in Jesus because of her testimony. This woman with low self-esteem, who avoided others because of her reputation, shared her story and changed lives!
YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH. No matter what you’ve done, God wants to replace your low self-esteem and guilt with His grace. You are forgiven. Share your story, pursue the dreams that God places on your heart. God qualifies you to be good enough!
Photo Credit: http://theloveyourselfchallenge.tumblr.com
“Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.”
1 Timothy 13-14 (New International Version)
Me’Chele — Thank you! When I was younger, I did try to be perfect. I thought if I was good enough, everyone would love me. The older I got, though, the worse my decisions. I’m glad we had moved away & you didn’t know me during this time
I have so many regrets! I’m thankful for God’s blessings and forgiveness, I don’t deserve it.
Great post. I never looked at you as having low self esteem. You always succeeded in everything you did! satan is a liar, he wants to steal our joy and make us weak so we cant forward God’s kingdom! Don’t listen to his lies! You are an amazing person, wish we were closer! Have a great weekend!
Thank you so much for the encouragement! Even as I was writing, I thought — what qualifies me to even write this? My low self-esteem almost took over. But, God created this story! He made all this possible so I’m going to share it
I am so, so grateful to Him for everything!
Super amen to this!! I am so moved by your testimony. Thank you so much for sharing this. I know it will help many who have walked down that path and can relate. I am so grateful to God that He can use your past to give someone else hope in their future!
I love this Mandy. It’s so hard to believe sometimes that God could love us despite our deepest and most shameful mistakes. What a testimony and a great reminder that his grace is enough. We are never so bad that God won’t love us.
Great post Mandy, straight from the heart!