Good Enough: Being Less than Perfect is Not Fatal

“Blessed are you who do not despise your realness. It may hurt. But this is what we hoped for, right? To live and love. To be loved.” (From Good Enough by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie)

The idea of being good enough, or just doing our best, is not necessarily an invitation for under-achieving or giving up. Instead, being good enough means letting ourselves off the hook when we make mistakes and giving ourselves a chance to start over or even try something new.

The story of the Prodigal Son in the Bible is well-known. After, making some unwise choices and mistakes, a young man decided to go home again. Believing that what he had done was unforgivable, he never expected the joyful welcome he received from his father. Often, we are our own worst critics and have a hard time forgiving ourselves for the mistakes we’ve made. The reality is that we are not perfect, and trying to be, is exhausting. Even when we can’t seem to be kind and forgiving to ourselves, God is there, offering a welcome with mercy and grace.