“An open letter” to…everyone.

There comes a point in everyone’s life where you feel like nothing you ever do is good enough:

You make all A’s in school, but you don’t play enough sports.

You graduate as the valedictorian of your high school with a full ride to college, but that’s not the Ivy League school your parents wanted you to attend.

You’re proficient in the Arts, but you don’t understand Biology.

You earn a Master’s Degree, but why didn’t you work to get a Doctorate?

You have a passion for what you do, but you don’t make six figures.

You wanted to lose 20 pounds, but you can’t seem to get past 15.

When you accomplish the one thing, something even more difficult comes along.

—

You feel rushed. You feel lost. You feel like you’re being crushed under the expectations of your job, friends, and family. And you feel like if you don’t please everyone, then you’re a failure.

—

But you are not a failure. You are not alone. And you are not worthless.

You know what you are?

You are loved. You were created in the image of a God who loves the deepest, richest parts of who you are. The Lover of your soul created you on purpose, and with a purpose. 

No matter how you believe your past defines you, He loves you still. No matter what people say, no matter what you are labeled by society, no matter how many people (who may even claim to be Christians) have told you that you are unworthy…He loves you.

The truth is that Jesus Christ loves you. He loves you so much that he went to unimaginable lengths to pour His life out for you – to lay down his sinless, untainted, beautiful life for you. He walked this earth committing no crime, no hateful act, sinless. Not an unholy word fell from his lips. He was beaten beyond recognition, the skin ripped from his body, blood pouring out. He was spat on, kicked, taunted. This is not an opinion. It is a fact. It is a fact that Jesus lived on this earth as a blameless man who took on the punishment for the sins of every person who ever lived. He conquered death, and His promises remain true today.

He did it because He loves you.

When I think about the words to describe His love for you – for me – there are none. No words could ever be strung together to completely and accurately portray the love that Christ has for you.

I am so tired of seeing people who call themselves Christians hating the people who are not like them. If you claim to live a life that resembles the life of Christ, you are called to love people. You are not called to label people, or hate people, or create stigmas. You are not called to judge people, whether you know them or not. You are called to love people and hold those accountable (with an attitude free of judgement and condemnation) who also claim to follow Christ.

God will judge a murderer just the same as one who gossips, and Christ’s command to us is to love these people.

If the murderer confesses and asks Christ for forgiveness, Christ pours out His forgiveness and mercy without reserve. To God, there is no sin greater than another. You ask for His forgiveness, you receive His forgiveness. You ask for wisdom, it is freely given. You ask for grace, mercy, and joy, and He is everything you need.

Ask Him to take your broken life and make it whole, and I promise that He will.

If you are there, feeling like nothing you ever do is good enough, take a second to understand that the reason you feel that way is because you are seeking your worth from the wrong source. 

The only One who can satisfy your soul is Jesus. Whether you believe me or not, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that your life will be miserable, empty, and broken apart from knowing Christ.

Nothing in this world will ever satisfy the hole in your heart that thirsts for love and acceptance. Not your friends, not your family, not your spouse, your pets, your boss, or your children. There is not a thing in the world that will ever overflow your heart with joy like the love of Christ. Apart from Christ, you may experience moments of happiness, moments of accomplishment, and moments of solitude. But I promise that you will always feel empty. You will feel broken, sad, used, abandoned, alone. You will feel a hurt that never subsides.

That hole is a part of human nature. From the moment sin entered the world, all of humanity was destined for that darkness, apart from Christ.

But you. You are loved by the Creator of the universe. He created your soul because you have a purpose. He did not put you on the earth by accident or by mistake. He gave you life because He wants to share with you His glory and His joy. He wants to give you a full life – a life of peace, of confidence, of joy.

His purpose is not for you to feel good-enough. His purpose is to give you life more abundantly than you could have ever imagined. And if you take one tiny step of faith, He will open up His loving arms and embrace you with acceptance, kindness, and gentleness.

You were created in the image of God. When you accept and pursue a life with Christ, your worth comes from the joy of knowing that Jesus is the Lover of your soul.

So my challenge is this: If you are down, if you feel like nothing you do is good enough, if you feel overwhelmed with life, take some time to spend with Christ. Dig into His teachings in the Bible and learn how to grow with Him. Thank Him for the life He has given you. Ask for His wisdom. I promise that you will walk away with a heart full of passion and joy. You will have peace in His unfailing promises. He will provide you with what you need, and it will be so much sweeter than just feeling good enough.

—–

Hannah Christenbury