If you have spent anytime reading quotes on Instagram, Pinterest, or Facebook. You have inevitably come across quotes that go something like this: “You owe yourself the love that you so freely give to other people.” Maybe you or someone you know has posted about their self-care day/week. You have probably run into those quotes or long posts about you being perfect even with all of your personality “flaws.” On the surface, these seem harmless and legitimately good. After all it makes sense right, how can you love someone else if you do not have any love for yourself? Everyone needs a day off to do something fun after working hard in order to recharge. Everyone has flaws of some sort, so what is the big deal?
In “You’re Not Enough (And That’s Okay)”, Allie Stuckey addresses the issues behind the ideology of self-love. She points people away from the lies that are constantly being shoved in women’s faces that we are enough and that we are perfect just the way we are. As the book title says, Allie argues that we are not enough and that we are not perfect just the way we are. The reason that this is okay is because we were made to rely and lean on Christ.
Allie tackles 5 Myths that the culture of self-love that women have been told: “You Are Enough,” “You Determine Your Truth,” “You’re Perfect the Way You Are,” “You’re Entitled to Your Dreams,” and “You Can’t Love Others Until You Love Yourself.” As she tackles each one of these myths, she describes how believing these myths affected her own life and how she overcame them by learning to lean on and focus on Christ instead of herself. She shows how the lies of self-love affect even the most basic parts of human life, and how God’s design is better for us.
I would highly recommend this book to every woman who has social media. Even if you have not bought the entirety of the lie that self-love is the cure for all of your problems, you likely have bought some part of the lie in an aspect of your life that you had never suspected. Allie’s exhortation is refreshing and encouraging in a world where women are constantly told that the solution to all of their problems is to love themselves more. The truth is that self is a miserable god to serve and will always leave us worse off than when we started. Jesus is the better god to serve. He took the punishment that we sinners deserved and offers salvation from our sin if we repent and believe in his death and resurrection.
Natters Matters 