I am not good enough. ” “I’m behind.” “Who am I to do this?” It’s tempting to listen to doubts like these—and then spend time and energy trying to “fix” ourselves. But such doubts are typically founded on a premise of elusive, ever-changing ideals or artificial standards. These shift based on culture, comparison, and circumstance, making them impossible to meet consistently. And this places our self-assessment on unstable ground. 

If this is where we find ourselves, Christian Science offers something transformative. It defines “self” from a whole different standpoint: seeing each individual as the expression of God. Genuine identity, then, is not sourced in personal characteristics or strengths but in God. The qualities we express originate in God, Love, and are reflected in our spiritual individuality, which is unchangeable and eternal. This calls into question what it means to be “falling short” in the first place, because it shows that what appears as lack or limitation is not the truth of our being but a false view of it. 

The Apostle Paul wrote in his second letter to the Christians at Corinth, “God is able to make all grace [every favor and earthly blessing] come in abundance to you, so that you may always [under all circumstances, regardless of the need] have complete sufficiency in everything [being completely self-sufficient in Him], and have an abundance for every good work and act of charity” (II Corinthians 9:8, Amplified Bible). This is a very different starting point for individual growth. When we identify ourselves with problems that need fixing, things get complicated. But when we begin with God and what that tells us about who we are, things get clarified. We start from the basis of completeness and work to see how this truth unfolds in our experience.

The Bible tells of Gideon, a simple farmer, who struggles with a sense of inadequacy when called by God to lead an army against the Midianites, who are attacking his homeland. He’s surprised when the angel of the Lord, after calling him a “mighty man of valour,” conveys God’s message for him to go forward and be the one to save his people. This isn’t how he sees himself. He protests that his family is poor and that he is the weakest among them—the least of anyone in the community (see Judges 6:11–16).

What he hears from God and what he’s been believing about himself are clearly contradictory, but he chooses to trust the divine message. His real, spiritual being as a strong, able child of God is not something he has to achieve, but something already present within him to express. As he acts on God’s assurance, the Midianite camp is thrown into confusion, and Gideon’s people are saved (see chapters 7, 8). Victory didn’t come from personal effectiveness but from trusting God’s sufficiency. 

As we grow in knowing God, we may find ourselves no longer asking, “Am I living up to a particular human standard?” but instead, “What am I understanding more about God and my true self today?” This quiet shift in our standpoint reshapes how we meet each demand and helps us address any character traits that might need improvement, without feeling inadequate. 

We can emulate what Jesus said about attributing to God the source of his ability: “The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works” (John 14:10). And as Jesus’ experience showed, this isn’t just about a private shift in our own thinking—it has broader implications. The same spiritual truth that corrects an individual’s limited, personal sense of self separate from God also applies to collective or global identity. 

Victory doesn’t come from personal effectiveness but from trusting God’s sufficiency. 

So then, what if a nation, political system, or societal group appears to be falling short? How can our prayers also bring healing there? Rather than accepting deficiency as fact, we can start from the spiritual premise that God’s creation is not lacking or failing to measure up. Prayer is not about attempting to fix a broken reality, but about perceiving more clearly what is already spiritually true and trusting that this clearer view has a beneficial effect. Therefore, the healing of collective inadequacies begins in the same place as individual healing—in deepening our understanding of God and seeing man as the expression of divine sufficiency.

Paul was aware of his own shortcomings, yet he recognized that they weren’t what really defined him. He saw beyond those limitations and realized that his spiritual selfhood was enough—strong, capable, and sufficient in Christ, Truth. His confidence in God’s grace enabled him to then say, “I am well pleased with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, and with difficulties, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak [in human strength], then I am strong [truly able, truly powerful, truly drawing from God’s strength]” (II Corinthians 12:10, AMP). 

Trusting God shows us that “falling short” is not an accurate measure. Grounded in Love, we aren’t moving toward confidence; we are expressing it, here and now.

Larissa Snorek, Associate Editor