God's Grace for Women Who Feel Like They are Falling Short

Hi friends, do you ever feel like you are falling short? I think we have all felt that way at some time. Maybe you see your peers succeeding in areas you feel are stagnant in your own life, you haven’t hit your goals within the expected timeframe, or you thought you’d be in a different stage of life by now. It’s tempting to let these feelings draw us into a trap of discouragement, depression, or even hopelessness. But take heart! There is hope!

Finding the Source

Sometimes we feel “less than” because we compare ourselves to others. Paul warns against comparison in Galatians 6:4 “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else”. The only person we should compare ourselves to is an earlier version of ourselves to assess our own growth and maturity.

Other times our disappointment stems from unrealistic expectations. Maybe we haven’t allowed ourselves enough time to meet our goals. Perhaps we have set goals that are unrealistic- they don’t align with our personality or our giftedness.

We may believe lies that attack our hearts and minds: I’m not good enough, I can’t do that, I’ll never measure up.

Of course, there is a possibility that we truly are dropping the ball. We are human after all. Maybe we simply have too much on our plates or we lack motivation and self-discipline.

Take a minute to assess the situation; using prayer and discernment to determine which of these scenarios is actually true. I’ll wait.

Now let’s look at how these scenarios affect our value as women.

Valuing Yourself as a Christian Woman

Oh friend, I would be lying if I said I don’t get any of my value from things I accomplish and the gifts I have to offer. I am human- and we humans assign a value to our accomplishments, but we are so much more than what we do! Let’s remind ourselves of our identity in Christ! Over and over again! Until it sticks!

God created us, in His image, and with innate value. “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalm 139:14). God deemed us worthy of His creation, knowing our shortcomings and what mistakes we would make. Our gifts and abilities are topping on the cake, ladies! And we all like cake- with or without the toppings!

Gifts and Abilities

Since we are talking about cake... we might as well get into the toppings too! Our gifts are explained in Romans 12:6-8, “We have different gifts according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophecy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving then serve; if it is teaching then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead then do it diligently; if it is to show mercy then do it cheerfully.” 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 also mentions the gifts of wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, the discerning of spirits, speaking in different kinds of tongues, and interpreting tongues. We know that He wants us to use our gifts and abilities to bless other believers. “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). Our value doesn’t come from our gifts and abilities, but they are an added value- a bonus!

Grace for the Challenge

You have heard me talk about grace- God's two-fold promise. Grace is not only His forgiveness for when we fall short, it’s also His power that enables us to do better! By His grace we can quit comparing ourselves, stop believing lies, let go of unrealistic expectations, and overcome the areas in which we struggle. By His grace, we can discern what we need to fix- and if it’s our responsibility to fix it- or if it was never truly our problem in the first place. And by His grace, we can focus that wasted energy on self-improvement and growth.

Looking for Solutions

Hopefully these reminders have you straightening your crown, and remembering you are the daughter of the King. But let’s talk solutions here- because we all know that a woman’s work is never done! If you are like me, you have taken a breath, made a list, and analyzed it from every angle. You know what you can delegate, say “no” to, which items on your list truly belong to you, and which you can let go altogether.

What If It’s All Too Much?

Sometimes it truly feels like too much: too many items on the to-do list, too many responsibilities. If you feel like your expectations are reasonable and you aren’t trying to juggle a Pinterest-worthy home with gourmet meals, homeschooling, and becoming wife and parent-of-the-year, then approach your challenges with prayer. Tap into His grace and power.

Grace for Yourself

But, at the end of the day, it might be that what you truly need is grace for yourself. You are just one person. You are not charged with being all things to all people. Once you have sorted your priorities and managed your to-do list to the best of your ability- let it go. There are many stages in life, and you won't always be in this current one. Do your best and give God the rest.