Enough!

It was Monday, that often-dreaded day after the weekend when work or school begins again for many.  I have tried to reframe that day in my mind, telling myself and others, ‘It’s Monday!  A new beginning!  We get to start fresh!’  That simple thought has eased the Monday morning blues quite often for me.  And I revel at the goodness of God for dropping such an idea into my head.

Thankfully, on this particular fresh start day, my workload was easily managed.  So, my mind was calm, and all seemed right in my world.  Messages were answered, tasks completed, and time passed at an easy pace.  Then somewhere along the way came the ping.

 A new message …

Finding a moment to break away from my duties, I looked at my cell phone and discovered various updates.  One in particular caught my eye.  A distant friend had mentioned my name in a post on social media.  With my heightened curiosity, I quickly clicked on the update and found an encouraging note.  It was one of those copy and paste kinds of posts that goes around from time to time.  This one gave a variety of prompts with instructions to list the name of a friend next to it.  My name was listed next to, ‘You are enough.’

Soon thereafter, I remembered the encouraging lyrics of Jireh by Maverick City.  As the music swelled in my head, the lyrics reminded me that God is enough:  ‘You are enough … So, I am enough … Jireh, You are enough … I will be content in every circumstance …’ the song played in my mind for quite some time.

I want a real meal …

Then as my workday ended and I began to travel home, still pondering the idea that I am enough, a memory came back to me of something my young daughter once said.   She had always been a hearty eater and one day exclaimed to me, “Momma, I want a real meal!”  She simply would not be content with less than a hearty plate full of nutritious foods.  My favored salad or baked potato meal simply would not satisfy her.

Musing at the memory, I recalled the many times I’ve heard that Jesus is all we need.  He is enough.  And similarly, all the world needs is love.  Yet as my young daughter wanted a real meal to satisfy her longing for enough, I found myself realizing that I, too, want enough.  And I want to be enough.

Lyrics again …

Again, Maverick City’s Jireh raced through my thoughts – You are enough, so I am enough.  But just proclaiming Jesus didn’t seem enough to fully satisfy me.  My mind and emotions screamed for more!  If You are enough, I cried out, then why am I experiencing this (add here whatever your this might be).  Where is the peace?  How can I find calm?  When will my reality align with the idea that You are enough?

Soon the flood of thoughts and emotions subsided as though someone turned off a water faucet.  A peace and calm settled over me.  Something inside me accepted the idea that Jesus is enough.  And when I am truly living as His disciple, learning His teachings and putting them into practice in my life, then I, too, am enough.  Yet it remains true, that merely saying His name is not enough.  I realized there’s so much more than merely salvation in the name of Jesus and accepting the work He did on the cross to forgive our sins.  

 Where we find enough …

After salvation, God’s Word explains where we can find the enough we often seek:

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.   1 Peter 2:2-3 niv

Yes, Jesus is enough, but we must grow beyond initial salvation.  Saying ‘yes’ to Him is only the first step that cleanses us from our sins.  The refreshing sensation that we are guilt-free is just that, a sensation that perhaps lingers, but is not lasting.  So, like the young child that wanted a real meal, if we are to be satisfied, we must move beyond the spiritual milk and consume the meat of His Word and the fullness of His presence to experience the enough that He has for us.  

How we find enough …

And how can we do this?  By reading His words and learning about Him in the Holy Bible.  By slowing ourselves to pray, sharing our concerns and our gratitude in prayer.  By allowing our thoughts to linger in His presence in worshipful abandon.  By aligning our actions and attitudes with His teachings and nature.  By learning to love one another and do life together just as Jesus did with His disciples.  And yes, that means attending church where the Bible is taught.  And yes, that means learning to be generous with our lives and our resources.

Only as we continue to grow in our walk of faith will we be satisfied.  Only then will we find that, indeed, Jesus is enough.  And it is only then that we can be content knowing we, too, are enough.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.  His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us … For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.   2 Peter 1:2-8 (NIV 1984)

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