The garden was God’s original plan played out on earth. Authority and power were the birthrights of His beloved children as they walked by His side in love. And yet, Adam and Eve chose to believe a cunning creature over their Creator God. They chose to believe in themselves over the faithfulness of the One who formed them by hand.
Choosing a Restored Identity in Christ
But we have a choice too. We can choose to veer away from Adam and Eve’s fallen footsteps and follow the path back to a restored identity in Christ. We can choose to believe God’s Word and trade the enemy’s lies for the Father’s irreversible promises.
Facing Sin and Its Ripple Effects
Will we still encounter sin? Of course. Will we still see the ripple effects of the fall, including the vicious assault on women? Unfortunately, yes.
Only Jesus Can Restore Our Identity
But clinging to falsehood will not help women grow or overcome. The “you are enough” ideology is not the answer to empowering women. It’s society’s attempt to counter the lies of Satan and make right what went wrong in Eden. When we continually try to be enough for everyone, including ourselves, we will eventually realize we can’t be our own Messiah. And that’s okay because there’s good news. Only Jesus can do what we can’t.
Jesus’ Role in Our Lives
Only Jesus can take our condemnation and cover us with His grace. Only Jesus can take our lack and make it a holy gain. Only Jesus can use our weakness as an outlet for His strength. Only Jesus can free our hearts from the pressure of perfection. Only Jesus can make us enough, because we are united in Him. Without the restorative, healing work of Christ in our lives, we will end up trying to earn our worth through an unending cycle of defeat. We will wear our bones dry trying to prove our self-sufficiency through the power of our own hands.
The Reality of Spiritual Struggles
We can be wives. We can run the schedule. We can create the perfect home. We can pursue the dream. We can be the good neighbor, churchgoer, daughter, sister, and friend. But when we mess up or can’t get past the struggle or can’t keep our head above the sand, we can expect another spiritual assault from the enemy.
Combatting the Enemy’s Lies
Satan will tell you it’s your fault and pack on loads of shame. He will do everything he can to make you forget the position you’ve been given. But don’t let him fool you. Don’t let him make you feel inferior when in Christ your identity stands.
Embracing Our Worth in Christ
The truth is, we are worthy of being cherished and accepted simply because we are His. We can receive the Father’s compassion exactly where we are, and it’s not because of what we do or who we try to be. Our value has already been determined by the good story of the gospel. Our position has been sealed and our inheritance guaranteed.
Complete in Christ
God made up His mind about us long ago, and the verdict is eternally in.
In Christ, we lack nothing. We are made whole and complete by the extravagance of His love. In Jesus, we are empowered, filled to the fullness of life and power that comes from the throne room of God. We aren’t enough on our own, and that’s okay. It’s actually a relief. We can say we are more than enough through the One who covers us in His perfection and offers us His peace.
Adapted from She Believed HE Could, So She Did by Becky Beresford (© 2024). Published by Moody Publishers. Used with permission.
