Are You Enough

Are You Enough

 

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good work, which God prepared in advance for us to do>”

~Ephesians 2:10

Have you ever listened to and wore the lie that God can’t use you?  Maybe it sounded something like one of these….

Your past is too shameful.

Remember that poor choice(s) you made?

You’re too ugly.

You’re too fat.

You’re too young.

You’re not smart enough, popular enough.

You’re not enough!

"God loves us for ourselves.  He values our love more than He values galaxies of new created worlds."

~A.W. Tozer  

The story of the Samaritan woman in the New Testament is the quintessential story of a woman who believed she was not enough.  She was a woman who made A LOT of bad choices in her life.  Choices that made others whisper about her and avoid her.  But when Jesus came upon her, He did not avoid her, He did not keep is distance.  Jesus never condemned her.  He never does!  He knew her whole story, every detail.  And here’s the best part…even knowing what HE knew, every bad choice, every mistake, He still leaned into her and loved her.  He forgave her and set her life on a new path. He changed who she was and as a result it was enough to change a whole community. 

The good news in this story is, that NO ONE is too far gone that God can’t use them.  You are never in a place where God’s plan for your life is over.  Right in the stresses and messes of life is the very place Jesus desires to meet us.  He wants to sit right there in our hurt, disappointment, frustration, anger, and regret.  He deeply desires to meet us in our brokenness so we can do what He’s called us to do.

Satan will whisper in your ear and remind you all the reasons you aren’t enough and that God could never use someone like you.  Someone broken and sinful.  But here where you have a choice.  When you hear the lie that you’re not enough, you can listen to the lie, or you can look it square in the eye and tell it, “Enough!  I was created on purpose for a purpose and God can and will use me.”

Throughout the Bible, God used the broken and sinner to eternally impact the kingdom of God.  He used the prostitutes, the mental and physically ill.  He used the uneducated, and the adulterer.  That is great news for all us “broken” souls who think we are too far from God for Him to use us, so quit believing the lie that you are not enough!  You are enough just the way that God created you.  Whether it is a physical limitation, a choice you made that you regret, or something beyond your control, it doesn’t matter, you are more than enough in the eyes of Christ.

You are enough because you were created by the one who is perfect, and He knew exactly what he did when he created you.   You are NOT enough because you finally worked hard enough or tried hard enough.  Being enough means we acknowledge we are not perfect.  IT means we see our flaws; we own them and we accept that God can still use us.  Being enough means we were made by our creator just as we are, on purpose for a purpose.  Being enough means we don’t have to try to become more worthy, more acceptable, more loved.  We don’t’ have to be more anything because we are all those things already. 

You are fearfully and wonderfully made and fully loved and accepted by Christ!

There are things you may want to be more of.  More open.  More honest.  More authentic.  More connected.  More free.  More purposeful.  More intentional.  But those are not expressions of your “enoughness”.  They aren’t about changing yourself but being yourself. 

So, take a long hard look and remind yourself….

You are Enough!

Will God Really not Give You More Than You Can Handle?

 “Behold I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, … For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised.”

~ Genesis 28:15

Life is hard, there is no way around it.   Sometimes is feels like wave after wave of fear, loss, confusion, and destruction keep knocking you off your feet.  When you feel like you cannot keep your head above water, it often feels like it is even hard to breathe. 

I am sure you have heard good meaning people, who are trying to be encouraging tell you, “God doesn’t give you more that you can handle.”  Let’s be real, in the midst of the pain and anger, that is not reassuring.   I would also contest that this saying is not accurate anyway. 

When the fight feels to hard, I believe Jesus is there whispering to us, “if the fight is too big for you, it’s not your battle to fight.”  All throughout the Bible God is constantly fighting battles on behalf of his people.

“The Lord God will fight for you, and you only have to be silent”

~Exodus 14:14

“For the Lord your God is He who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.”

~Deuteronomy 20:4

I 100% think we are to partner with God and do our part when we face battles.   We are to pray, pray and pray some more.  Sometimes we have practical things that we need to do.  But then there are battles that seem to big to fight.  What if in those times when we can no longer seem to catch our breath, we surrendered the fight and trusted that God will make a way?  All God is asking is that we invite Him in and allow Him to fight for us.  To lift up our hand and hearts in holy surrender to the One who can and will see victory.

The idea that God only gives us what we can handle implies that we are to handle all things that life throws at us.  And I do not believe that is true.  God wants us to turn to Him.   He wants us to give the big things to Him.  He wants us to let go of the control we try so hard to hold onto and allow Him to carry the weight and the burden of the heavy stuff.  And maybe even sometimes the small too.  There are so many verses in the Bible where God says to us that the battle is not for us to fight alone.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." 

~Joshua. 1:9

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." 

~John 10:10

"One of your men puts to flight a thousand, for the LORD your God is He who fights for you, just as He promised you." 

~Joshua 23:10

Taking that step of surrender often means putting aside pride.  Pride that says I can handle this on my own.  And instead we gave up control and said, “Lord, I simply cannot do this on my own.”  This is exactly the place where He will step in and whisper in our ear, “my child, I can.”  The waves may knock us down, but the don’t knock Him down.  He made us to need Him, and it is in our weakness that he is strong.  It is in our weakness that He will see us through. 

“Your Protector, Deliverer, and Redeemer is watching over you.  He is there when you wake, with you as you walk and work.  He weeps with you when your heart is breaking; He sings over you when you are at a loss for words; He sits with you in the stillness.” (Blessed, Broken, Given by Glenn Packiam)

If you allow Him, God will take al those things that are too Big for you to handle and He will step in and walk along side you, carry you and fight for you.  All you have to do is lay aside control and pride and lay your burdens at the feet of Jesus.

He caused the storm to be still, So that the waves of the sea were hushed.

~Psalm 107:29

What in your life is calling for you to surrender to the one who can cause the storm to be still and hush the waves?

Gloy-strength

 

“We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul- not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength that God gives.  It is the strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful he had for us.”

From Colossians 1:9-12 (the Message)

 

I absolutely love the picture that this paint.  The contrast between “suffering for the Lord” and truly “call it all joy” when we face trials.   I think we have all faced times in our lives when we just “gritted our teeth” and tried to get through. 

 

But what if that was not how God intended us to face struggles.  What God really intended for us it to turn to Him, trust His, lean into Him. 

 

What if we quit carrying burdens that we weren’t meant to carry in the first place?  What if we let Him show is strength in our weakness?  What if we instead of just gritting our teeth and getting through, we stopped, soaked in the lessons God has for us in the struggle, and allowed Him to fill us with “the glory-strength God gives us”; the kind of strength “that endures the unendurable and spills over to joy”?

 

I’ll be honest first of all I hate times of struggle.  The Bible tells us to “call it all joy” when we face trials (James 1:2).  Joy?  I don’t know many people whose first reaction to a trial is joy?  I know it is not mine.   Honesty, the first words that hit my lips are usually something like, “why God?” or “God make this go away”.  Joy is definitely not my first reaction. 

 

Here is the thing.  I know that “glory-strength” and “joy” are possible in the face of trials.  The key to this, in my opinion, lies in trusting God with the struggle.  Nothing we face is a surprise to God.  He wrote our story before we ever took our first breath. (Psalm 139:13-16).  He knew the good, the bad, and the ugly we would face.   What he wants when we are knocked to our knees by life is to look to Him, lean into Him, and turn our lives over to Him, trusting that His plan (even in the face of adversity) is better than our plan. 

 

Allow Him to carry the burdens that you face.  Turn the situation you face over to Him.  Put the person that you are struggling with at the feet of Jesus.  QUIT trying to work the solution yourself and let God work out the details and lead you through.

 

In so many ways the last two years have been the hardest I have ever faced in my life.  The death of a parent, the death of a dream, the death of a marriage.  All these things, if allowed, could have crushed me, and they almost did.  The turning point was waking up after facing death and realizing God still had a good plan for me.  One of hope and one for a good future.  It was at this point I had to let go.  Let go of my dreams of how I thought my life was going to end up.  Let go of people who I loved with every fiber of my being. Let go of all the stress and anxiety that try to “fix it” myself was doing to me. 

 

Once I allowed myself to lay it all at the feet of Jesus, I suddenly felt a supernatural peace in the midst of the biggest trial I have ever faced.  Suddenly I felt a glory-strength that I never knew existed inside me start to burst free.  I felt joy, real joy, even in the midst of pain and brokenness.   I didn’t just feel it myself, others started seeing it on my face, hearing it my voice.  I have heard myself say over and over, “I am happier than I have been in a long time, and in spite of my circumstances that should not be.” 

 

God has shown me how so incredibly blessed I am.  How many good things and people I have in my life? He has planted new hopes and dreams in my life.  I see a future, a good future.   It’s not the one I thought it was going to be, but it is good none the less.  I have learned to embrace the trials and have learned so many lessons as I walk though it.

God never intended for you to “grit your teeth” and get through.  So, whatever you are facing today, lay it at the feet of Jesus.  All of it.  Don’t pick it back up.  Don’t try to figure it out on your own.  Leave it at His feet and allow Him to work out that good and perfect plan that He has for your life.  Trust that His timing is better than yours.  I promise that if you do, He will fill your heart with “glory-strength” to face the struggles of life and you will experience a type of joy that is unexplainable. 

An Old Soul

Back in June a someone shared something with me and it has really resonated with me though the last few months.  I read it, reread again, pray about it and reflect on what they may look like in my future.  Here was what it said…

 

“It’s become such a rarity nowadays to find someone to fall in love with and stay in love with.  People seem to forget how beautiful it is to grow old with someone, to build and witness someone’s progression and to conquer obstacles as a team instead of facing them alone.  I guess it’s safe to say there is not enough thrill in it for them.  There is no thrill in comfortability and knowing someone like the back of your hand.  I guess that is why you can call me an old soul.  I don’t need to go out all the time and switch people every other week to fill my boredom with temporary happiness.  I always wanted something real, someone so genuine that they’re worth lasting a lifetime with.  Someone who’s willing to invest the time and effort that’s needed to win instead of forfeiting when there’s “no coming back”.  I understand it’s nearly impossible nowadays to count on someone with all your heart and mind and soul.  It’s more dangerous than anything.  I guess that is why you can count me as one of the rare ones.  I’m want to be in it not just for a reason, season or lifetime…I am in it for all three.”

 

This so eloquently describes what I have always wanted in a relationship.  I cannot begin to count all the times I thought, “I just want someone who is willing to fight for me as hard as I would fight for them.”  I guess the question I began to ponder was, does that kind of love really exist?   I am a dreamer?  Is that forever kind of love just an old-fashioned dream and doesn’t really exist anymore?  Is there really someone who will ever be willing to fight for me?

 

I looked at my life and thought, “this isn’t how my life was supposed to be”.  I had hopes, dreams and this not a part of that.  Sometimes life feels like a punch in the stomach.  It’s becomes hard to believe that a good God actually has a plan for my life when everything I believed was shattered into pieces. I doubted at times that I would ever find happiness again.

 

When I feel this way I hold onto two verses:

 

“For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harms you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ~Jeremiah 29:11

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart,

But it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

~Proverbs 19:21

 

I reminded myself that God made everything out of nothing and he can make something beautiful from the ashes of a life hoped for that seem to be laid out before me.  He will make a way when there isn’t one that I can see.  His words make things come to be, and His breath makes dead things come to life.  He breaths into my circumstances.  He can take the broken pieces of my life and bring something good out of it.  Hopelessness is not a part of God’s plan for me.  God redeems and restores his creation, and I am no exception. 

 

God amazes me every day.  I wake up with a new song on my lips every morning.  I find things each day that bring a smile to my face.  I feel hopeful.  Hopeful that I will have a beautiful life, even if that life looks different than I thought it would.  I believe that God can and will fill my life much happiness and joy in the future.  I feel God’s peace, grace and joy more and more every day.  Even on tough days I have lots of reasons to smile. 

Do I still believe in that forever love?

 Absolutely!

 

Do I believe there is another old soul out there who’s willing to invest the time and effort that’s needed to win instead of forfeiting when there’s “no coming back”.?

100%

 

There was a time when I looked at my life and couldn’t see anything but broken pieces of shattered hopes and dreams.  Now I see hope.  Now I see a future filled with laughter and happiness.  I don’t know God’s full plan for my future, but I know that He has only good things for me, and I can trust that, even when my human eyes may not see it.