What do you think?
Rate this book
"I'm Not Good Enough"...and Other Lies Women Tell Themselves
Sharon Jaynes exposes the lies that keep women bogged down in guilt and shame. Learn to recognize and replace the lies you've told yourself and find confidence and rest in your identity as an imperfect--but wholly redeemed--woman of value.
241 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
30 people are currently reading
329 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 21, 2014
I really love Sharon Jaynes books. They are so encouraging and all backed up with scripture from the bible. This book was fantastic and well worth the read. I highly recommend it to all women!
August 4, 2010
Gina Robertson said...
This deals with renewing our minds with God's truth and learning to live victoriously as we identify our false beliefs that hold us in bondage or sin. The author first starts with an overview of recognizing the lies we belief, rejecting them and replacing them with Biblical truth. She then addresses the top 11 lies that women tell themselves and deals with each individually as a chapter (I would be happy if ______, I can't forgive the person who hurt me, I'm a failure, I can't help myself, etc.
What I loved about the book is her emphasis on scripture meditation and the benefits of it ("Daily meditation on Scripture, with personal application, is the most effective means of obtaining personal joy, peace and emotional maturity...and on average it takes about three years of daily Scripture meditation to bring about enough change in a person's thought patterns and behavior to produce superior mental health and happiness"). She writes in an easy to understand/easy to relate to style and summarizes well a lot of GraceWalk/Journey to Freedom/Hope mentor content that I've been exposed to over the years. Quotes Beth Moore a lot! I also like that she empowers the reader, encouraging women that there is much they can do to change themselves and in effect, their lives, displacing a victim mentality.
Only concern is for someone who may be dealing with deep emotional wounds...could perceive her admonitions as simplistic and formulaic. However, I still think the book would be a good foundation in addition to other support, such as counseling, etc, for this individual.
16 chapters total so a group would need to double up on them to finish in a reasonable amount of time. No questions at the end of the chapter but I believe each chapter provides enough content to easily facilitate discussion.
This deals with renewing our minds with God's truth and learning to live victoriously as we identify our false beliefs that hold us in bondage or sin. The author first starts with an overview of recognizing the lies we belief, rejecting them and replacing them with Biblical truth. She then addresses the top 11 lies that women tell themselves and deals with each individually as a chapter (I would be happy if ______, I can't forgive the person who hurt me, I'm a failure, I can't help myself, etc.
What I loved about the book is her emphasis on scripture meditation and the benefits of it ("Daily meditation on Scripture, with personal application, is the most effective means of obtaining personal joy, peace and emotional maturity...and on average it takes about three years of daily Scripture meditation to bring about enough change in a person's thought patterns and behavior to produce superior mental health and happiness"). She writes in an easy to understand/easy to relate to style and summarizes well a lot of GraceWalk/Journey to Freedom/Hope mentor content that I've been exposed to over the years. Quotes Beth Moore a lot! I also like that she empowers the reader, encouraging women that there is much they can do to change themselves and in effect, their lives, displacing a victim mentality.
Only concern is for someone who may be dealing with deep emotional wounds...could perceive her admonitions as simplistic and formulaic. However, I still think the book would be a good foundation in addition to other support, such as counseling, etc, for this individual.
16 chapters total so a group would need to double up on them to finish in a reasonable amount of time. No questions at the end of the chapter but I believe each chapter provides enough content to easily facilitate discussion.
November 17, 2009
This book shows you the truths. What God thinks about you and helps you recognize the lies of the evil one.
August 1, 2012
I read this only because a friend wanted to read it together. I was in awe with how much it spoke to me. This was perfectly suited for my soul!
October 12, 2020
I've had this on my Kindle shelf for a long time. I read this straight through and really gained a lot from the advice about self confidence. It says in G-ods eyes we are all beautiful. We were created in His image.
The short stories about different people were quite helpful too as they let me see every day things that make us doubt ourselves or do the wrong thing.
I really needed a nonfiction book to lift my spirits and this certainly did the trick.
The short stories about different people were quite helpful too as they let me see every day things that make us doubt ourselves or do the wrong thing.
I really needed a nonfiction book to lift my spirits and this certainly did the trick.
August 1, 2010
This deals with renewing our minds with God's truth and learning to live victoriously as we identify our false beliefs that hold us in bondage or sin. The author first starts with an overview of recognizing the lies we belief, rejecting them and replacing them with Biblical truth. She then addresses the top 11 lies that women tell themselves and deals with each individually as a chapter (I would be happy if ______, I can't forgive the person who hurt me, I'm a failure, I can't help myself, etc.).
What I loved about the book is her emphasis on scripture meditation and the benefits of it ("Daily meditation on Scripture, with personal application, is the most effective means of obtaining personal joy, peace and emotional maturity...and on average it takes about three years of daily Scripture meditation to bring about enough change in a person's thought patterns and behavior to produce superior mental health and happiness"). She writes in an easy to understand/easy to relate to style and summarizes well a lot of GraceWalk/Journey to Freedom/Hope mentor content that I've been exposed to over the years. Quotes Beth Moore a lot! I also like that she empowers the reader, encouraging women that there is much they can do to change themselves and in effect, their lives, displacing a victim mentality.
Only concern is for someone who may be dealing with deep emotional wounds...could perceive her admonitions as simplistic and formulaic. However, I still think the book would be a good foundation in addition to other support, such as counseling, etc, for this individual.
16 chapters total so a group would need to double up on them to finish in a reasonable amount of time. No questions at the end of the chapter but I believe each chapter provides enough content to easily facilitate discussion.
What I loved about the book is her emphasis on scripture meditation and the benefits of it ("Daily meditation on Scripture, with personal application, is the most effective means of obtaining personal joy, peace and emotional maturity...and on average it takes about three years of daily Scripture meditation to bring about enough change in a person's thought patterns and behavior to produce superior mental health and happiness"). She writes in an easy to understand/easy to relate to style and summarizes well a lot of GraceWalk/Journey to Freedom/Hope mentor content that I've been exposed to over the years. Quotes Beth Moore a lot! I also like that she empowers the reader, encouraging women that there is much they can do to change themselves and in effect, their lives, displacing a victim mentality.
Only concern is for someone who may be dealing with deep emotional wounds...could perceive her admonitions as simplistic and formulaic. However, I still think the book would be a good foundation in addition to other support, such as counseling, etc, for this individual.
16 chapters total so a group would need to double up on them to finish in a reasonable amount of time. No questions at the end of the chapter but I believe each chapter provides enough content to easily facilitate discussion.
December 8, 2011
I liked this book. I think it challenges women's negative thought process which can really impact your life. it explores different negative thoughts, give you ways to combat them and turn them positive and back them with scripture.
March 15, 2014
This is an amazing book! I got it from the library and wanted to mark it all up to remind me of these truths! I am not one to buy books (especially when libraries are so awesome!) but I had to buy this one. Now I have this book for myself. Wonderful!
December 22, 2015
Amazing book. The author writes with a simple and humble heart about experiences of herself - a woman who knows what is true pain & rejection but also what is real joy & acceptance by being perfectly loved by Jesus Christ.
June 25, 2015
I know I am good at something but not good enough. *sigh.
'The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know.'— Albert Einstein
I'll always be chasing greatness and my confidence arises from there.
'The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know.'— Albert Einstein
I'll always be chasing greatness and my confidence arises from there.
June 10, 2009
It showed me that I am good enough for God because he loves me the way I am.
June 7, 2012
It was a new and refreshing way to kind of relearn God's truths, and grasp the concept of His immeasurably sustaining, healing love deep down in a woman's "onion" heart (layers!)
July 14, 2015
If you need a book to help you decide who you are this might be the book, it helps.
March 29, 2016
Very helpful.
June 11, 2016
It has taken me a long time to accept that I fully committed to someone who deceived me. I'll probably never stop loving him, but I'm getting better at forgiving myself.
July 26, 2016
Lots of repetition,but valuable insights.
February 21, 2019
I've read another book written by this author and before I started reading this one, I already knew that it would be an incredible reading!
I've just finished reading it and I want to reread it right now! Jaynes is one of the best writers I have the pleasure to meet and read her books. It was truly an amazing reading.
God is so good and he knows everything and the right time for every little thing in our lives. And these past few weeks were the right time for me, because now I know how to battle against the devil's lies about me :) and, of course, Jaynes always - always - uses the Bible as the main source to know more about Jesus and every day battle against all the lies we start to believe about ourselves.
I super recommend it to every one, even men/boys.
Thank you, Mrs. Jaynes!
I've just finished reading it and I want to reread it right now! Jaynes is one of the best writers I have the pleasure to meet and read her books. It was truly an amazing reading.
God is so good and he knows everything and the right time for every little thing in our lives. And these past few weeks were the right time for me, because now I know how to battle against the devil's lies about me :) and, of course, Jaynes always - always - uses the Bible as the main source to know more about Jesus and every day battle against all the lies we start to believe about ourselves.
I super recommend it to every one, even men/boys.
Thank you, Mrs. Jaynes!
September 6, 2019
EVERY woman married, single, divorced or something else should read this book!
October 3, 2020
If you’ve read Lies Women Believe by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, then you don’t need to read this book. Which I have so I felt it was just a repeat.
June 25, 2019
Most of it I've heard before, though I still found plenty of things I wanted to highlight. There were times when I was skeptical of the author's reasoning (and her overuse of Beth Moore quotes), and I had a few disagreements with some of the "truths":
Lie: "I can't."
Truth: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
I think it's oversimplified, and that can do a lot of damage. It simply does not work for every single situation. If someone said I should go on American Idol, I'm going to say "I can't" because I can't sing that well. The conditions have to be right for this verse to apply: Jesus has to empower me, and it has to be God's will.
As someone with an anxiety disorder, people use this all the time to argue with me when I say I can't. It trivializes my struggles and suggests that if I just had more faith I could do it.
Lie: I would be happy if...
This is again oversimplifying a more complicated issue. There is nothing wrong with bettering your life. It's more about being happier, not happy. I lost 70 pounds. Am I happy? No. But I'm a heck of a lot happier! My health has improved and I'm able to find clothes easier. I can wear dresses now!! I had a problem, and with God's help, I conquered it. I could stand to lose more, and it could become an obsession, but that doesn't mean I should treat the very concept as idolatry.
In this section, Jaynes suggests that people make their spouse their God when they seek something that's lacking in their marriage. Yes, people have unrealistic expectations, and sometimes that leads to cheating and adultery, but that doesn't make it wrong to want a happier marriage. What is there's no love? What if your spouse is abusive? What if he/she doesn't care about your needs or dreams? Those are major problems that absolutely should be addressed. It's okay to have needs that aren't being met and to acknowledge that. I fear that women will read this and think they're not allowed to ever seek something better because that equals idolatry. I think this "truth" is almost as bad as the lie it's trying to counter.
Likewise, "Money doesn't make you happy" is usually said by those who have enough. I spent years being too cold every winter because I didn't have a good enough coat. I was walking around sometimes in something not much better than a hoodie. I'm very petite and nothing fits me in the sleeves. It's hard to find something in a thrift store. One day someone gave me a gift card which allowed me to buy a down jacket that would fit me and keep me warm enough at least part of the time! You bet I'm happier now.
Maybe I'm missing the point. I just think this book could've used a decent dose of "but". There are always exceptions for everything.
I picked up this book because I have social anxiety, live at home, and don't have a proper job. I often feel unaccepted in society. While it is extremely important to understand our worth in Christ, the problem with books like this is that when we feel unloved or rejected by people, being loved and accepted by God doesn't take away the pain of feeling unacceptable. Jesus healed the lepers so they could go back to being in society; he didn't tell them that it was okay because he doesn't mind their leprosy. That's like your mom saying she loves you, so it doesn't matter if anyone else does. "Yeah, but you're my mom...." Jesus was a man of sorrows because he was despised and rejected. He had the closest relationship to God that a person could have but it still hurt to be unloved by those he loves so much. So while I appreciate the effort by all to show us how loved we are by God, I think it's equally important to remember that we were created as social beings. I hear this lie a lot: "All you need is God". No. We need people, too. Adam walked with God yet God said "It's not good for man to be alone."
I feel like this is a harsher review than is perhaps warranted. Since I read this a few months ago, I don't remember much of it. I remember liking it quite a bit and wanting to buy it for others. So please excuse the negativity. These are just some things that I found irritating from having heard them so much.
Lie: "I can't."
Truth: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
I think it's oversimplified, and that can do a lot of damage. It simply does not work for every single situation. If someone said I should go on American Idol, I'm going to say "I can't" because I can't sing that well. The conditions have to be right for this verse to apply: Jesus has to empower me, and it has to be God's will.
As someone with an anxiety disorder, people use this all the time to argue with me when I say I can't. It trivializes my struggles and suggests that if I just had more faith I could do it.
Lie: I would be happy if...
This is again oversimplifying a more complicated issue. There is nothing wrong with bettering your life. It's more about being happier, not happy. I lost 70 pounds. Am I happy? No. But I'm a heck of a lot happier! My health has improved and I'm able to find clothes easier. I can wear dresses now!! I had a problem, and with God's help, I conquered it. I could stand to lose more, and it could become an obsession, but that doesn't mean I should treat the very concept as idolatry.
In this section, Jaynes suggests that people make their spouse their God when they seek something that's lacking in their marriage. Yes, people have unrealistic expectations, and sometimes that leads to cheating and adultery, but that doesn't make it wrong to want a happier marriage. What is there's no love? What if your spouse is abusive? What if he/she doesn't care about your needs or dreams? Those are major problems that absolutely should be addressed. It's okay to have needs that aren't being met and to acknowledge that. I fear that women will read this and think they're not allowed to ever seek something better because that equals idolatry. I think this "truth" is almost as bad as the lie it's trying to counter.
Likewise, "Money doesn't make you happy" is usually said by those who have enough. I spent years being too cold every winter because I didn't have a good enough coat. I was walking around sometimes in something not much better than a hoodie. I'm very petite and nothing fits me in the sleeves. It's hard to find something in a thrift store. One day someone gave me a gift card which allowed me to buy a down jacket that would fit me and keep me warm enough at least part of the time! You bet I'm happier now.
Maybe I'm missing the point. I just think this book could've used a decent dose of "but". There are always exceptions for everything.
I picked up this book because I have social anxiety, live at home, and don't have a proper job. I often feel unaccepted in society. While it is extremely important to understand our worth in Christ, the problem with books like this is that when we feel unloved or rejected by people, being loved and accepted by God doesn't take away the pain of feeling unacceptable. Jesus healed the lepers so they could go back to being in society; he didn't tell them that it was okay because he doesn't mind their leprosy. That's like your mom saying she loves you, so it doesn't matter if anyone else does. "Yeah, but you're my mom...." Jesus was a man of sorrows because he was despised and rejected. He had the closest relationship to God that a person could have but it still hurt to be unloved by those he loves so much. So while I appreciate the effort by all to show us how loved we are by God, I think it's equally important to remember that we were created as social beings. I hear this lie a lot: "All you need is God". No. We need people, too. Adam walked with God yet God said "It's not good for man to be alone."
I feel like this is a harsher review than is perhaps warranted. Since I read this a few months ago, I don't remember much of it. I remember liking it quite a bit and wanting to buy it for others. So please excuse the negativity. These are just some things that I found irritating from having heard them so much.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews