You Are Not What You Achieve

“Why don’t I seem to be ‘good enough’? I should have been farther along by now. Will I ever measure up?“

Negative thoughts spiral in my mind and throughout the pages of my journal as I reflect on my goals and growth this past year. While I’m proud of my wins, I didn’t meet every target I intended to reach. I’m caught in the comparison game, seeing how I measured up in regards to others, and in shame, criticizing myself for not doing enough. Instead of feeling empowered by what God has done over the past 12 months, I become consumed by feelings of inferiority.

We can be our own worst critics, especially when we fall short of our expectations. 

Maybe you’ve been single, hoping to be married by now.

Or maybe you didn’t perform as well as you thought on that evaluation.

Or maybe you’re disappointed in not meeting a fitness goal you set for yourself.

Friend, what if we viewed our days not by how much we’ve done, but by the depth of God’s love for us?

As David praises God in Psalm 139, he reveals a key truth for us. “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.“ (Psalm 139:13-14, ESV). 

Before we were born, God formed each of us to be exactly who He wanted us to be. The phrase “wonderfully made” in Hebrew, palah, means “to be set apart.” Of all His extraordinary work, God hand-crafted us and designated us to do incredible things (Ephesians 2:10). We might feel we have to prove ourselves, but God has already appointed us to glorify Him! 

Friend, if we ground our identities in our achievements, we will always fall short and our work will never be enough. But, when we rely on God to affirm our worth, we discover our greater purpose of serving Him in all we do. We stand securely in knowing who we are and Whose we are. And we rest in knowing His grace is sufficient for us (2 Corinthians 12:9).

No matter if we achieved our goals this year, we can hold to the truth that God loves us and He intentionally designed us to bring Him glory.

Zephaniah 3:17 says “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing” (ESV).

In Psalm 4:3, David proclaims, “But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him” (ESV).

The work we do doesn’t define us. Instead, it’s a byproduct of God’s work in our lives.

As we reflect on this year, let’s exchange our need to perform with the truth that we are wholeheartedly loved by God. The more we look to Him, the less we will fixate on where we fall short. 

We will come to see that we’re not a failure. 

And we’re most certainly not behind.

We’re beloved.

Reflection: Where in your life do you feel you don’t measure up? How does knowing the truth about God’s design for you change your perspective? Share in the comments!

If you have any prayer requests, I would love to pray for you. Leave a comment below, send me a message here, or DM me on Instagram.