Are you good enough yet?

The TV has just told me (so it must be true) that nine out of ten women are unhappy with their appearance and over half of these want to change the way they look using plastic surgery or the like. This probably applies just as much to men.

But the following, I know is true:

The TV, magazines and advertisements all conspire to tell us “you’re not good, or thin, or beautiful, or wealthy, or successful enough … unless you buy this product, or have this nip and tuck, or...”. And even when we do buy the product or have the uplift, then we’re still not good enough, as we should be even thinner, more beautiful, wealthier, more successful. It's a never-ending treadmill – driven by greed and encouraged by the Enemy: offering happiness, but delivering despair.

We want to be accepted – who doesn’t? This means behaving acceptably in others’ eyes, by the world’s measurements: fitting in, turning a blind eye, keeping up with the Joneses. It's a never-ending struggle – driven by insecurity and urged on by the Enemy: promising contentment and self-esteem, but delivering deceit, a hollow façade, emptiness.

We want to be forgiven and have peace – why wouldn't we? This means trying to be good, be better, be perfect in fact; trying hard, trying harder, trying even harder. It's a never-ending striving – driven by pride and celebrated by the Enemy: guaranteeing self-improvement and satisfaction, but delivering failure.

How odd of God to not realise that we need to earn our salvation! Created? Chosen? Adopted? Accepted? What – for free?

Yes. I was created by God, chosen, adopted, accepted, redeemed and forgiven. I don't need to struggle or strive, to try harder, or be anything other than I am.

But it wasn’t ‘for free’! It was accomplished at Jesus' enormous cost.

Choose carefully who you listen to.