Defining “Enough”
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9
I have a newly screened-in porch that I love to sit in in the evening. I was left alone there tonight (not a common occurrence with three grandchildren in the house). The sky was beautiful, the temperature was nice, and the silence was unusual. I started to pray and then began to wonder:
- Do I do enough for the Lord?
- Do I give enough?
- Do I love enough?
- Do I rest in the Lord enough?
- Am I enough?
The answers are no, no, no, no, and no. What I was immediately reminded of is that, though I may not “do” enough, it is ok for me not to “be” enough. Jesus is enough.
Often, as Christians grow in faith we become more and more aware of our sin. If you are like me, sometimes you, too, wonder why God would want to keep you as a child. Why does He not just disown us when our thoughts are bad and our dispositions are grumpy and ungrateful? Why is He patient with us when we are so impatient with Him (and everyone else)?
I can still hear a Bible teacher telling me that it is not about me. He saved me and called me to a work because of who He is, not because of who I am.
Answering the Questions
In His mercy and kindness, God does not expect us to be at work every waking hour.
God always gives and loves enough. If we believe that we give and love enough, we need to pay closer attention to the lonely, the lost, the indigent, and the homeless, to see how great a need we fail to see every day.
The day-to-day of life often brings worry (I like to call it concern), anxiety, and questioning “why” things are happening. Intellectually, we know we can rest in Him and He is in sovereign control. He is not unaware or out of the picture. Often, we respond with emotion before our brains kick into gear and remind us what we know is true of God from the scriptures.
I thank God that I do not have to be enough because Christ is enough. As a Christian, when I stand before God concerned about how He will judge me on the things I have said and done, He will see the righteousness of Christ.
God is Enough
As I sit in the comfort and beauty of my new porch it should be a reminder of how gracious and generous the Lord has been to me.
Defining “enough” comes down to examining who we are most concerned about, the Lord or ourselves. When my mind is on me, I see the deficiencies. When my mind is on the Lord, I see His sufficiency. When I look at it that way, I know I will always have enough of all that matters.
I may need to do more, give me, and love more, as He calls me to. But, I can rest, knowing God always does enough, gives enough, loves enough, offers rest enough, and IS enough.
Do you have what He considers enough or are you looking for what you consider enough?