“Am I Good Enough?” | Northstar Church

“Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord.” – Acts 11:24.

Every believer at some point in their Christian walk begins to doubt and asks themselves this simple question: “am I good enough?” We know that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross pays for the sins of the world, and cleanses people of sin, yet those pesky doubts of unworthiness and feelings of not being good enough can creep back into our lives.

In the early church, Barnabas was well-known as a respected leader. In Acts 11, he’s described as a good man. It doesn’t mean Barnabas never sinned, for we all do. However, his reputation was one that identified him as a man who abstained from evil and sin. In other words, he was a good man. In Acts 4, Barnabas sold his property and gave the money to help the poor saints and relieve their suffering. He found ways to encourage others and he was obedient to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. We walk in the Spirit when we are led by the Spirit. We will be led by something. Maybe it’s sports, work, money, hobbies, family, possessions, fame, or love. But when we live Spirit-led lives, we surrender our will to His and the result is a life of joy and peace.

Barnabas was full of Faith. Barnabas didn’t have a wavering faith. He didn’t have faith when things were going well. Barnabas had a deep faith in God. “Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.” (Matthew 21:21-22) Jesus wasn’t talking about easy faith or casual prayer. He was talking about the kind of faith that holds strong against any situation, regardless of how impossible it might seem.

So what about us? Would you be considered a good person? The filling of the Holy Spirit transformed Barnabas’ life. The Holy Spirit is a person who knows you and loves you. Have you ever needed direction? Have you ever wanted answers to do whatever it is that you are doing? Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would come to be a counselor, one who would come alongside, and help you navigate through the decisions you are making in your life. Scripture says He comforts the saved. He convicts the lost. He conveys the truth. He points people to Jesus. Developing a relationship with the Holy Spirit is crucial for those who desire to discover and fulfill God’s will for their lives.

Where does your faith stand? Faith is not a feeling. Faith has nothing to do with your feelings. Faith is simply a recognition that God has promised something, and, since He is God, to expect Him to do it.

Discussion Questions:

Have you ever felt like you weren’t good enough?
What can we do this week to live a life full of the Holy Spirit?