You Are Enough
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of Your mind. Romans 12:12
The first time I heard Romans 12:12, I was sitting on the Dining Hall Porch listening to Sandi Taylor’s Bible class, and I felt like someone dropped a ton of bricks on me.
At the time, I was totally sucked into comparing myself to others. This pattern left me feeling inadequate, discouraged, and ultimately very discontent. As Sandi read Romans 12:12, though, I realized that comparison was stealing my joy; I was conforming to a pattern of this world that was toxic, and I was left empty, restless, and constantly feeling like I was not enough.
This dissatisfaction with ourselves is not what God desired when He created us. He made us in His image and likeness and gifted us with unique talents, abilities, and looks for a reason. The more we compare ourselves in a negative fashion to others, the further we get from the version of ourselves that God created us to be. The result is diminishing joy; comparison is the thief of all joy.
The second part of Romans 12:12 tells us how we can deal with those times when we feel ourselves conforming to worldly patterns. It says, “Be transformed by the renewing of your minds.” In other words, we can ask the Holy Spirit to help renew our perspectives so that we see things as God sees them, not as the world does.
Prayer: God, help me recognize my worth to fully embrace the person who You made me to be. In our world today, it can be so hard to feel pretty enough, smart enough, well-rounded enough, etc. Help me realize that because You created me, I am enough. Holy Spirit, transform my mind so that I am not compelled to compare myself to others. Transform my mind so I fully believe that I am perfect, whole, and complete through Jesus. Amen.