Sermonette: "Enough"

Do you ever feel like you are not enough? Sometimes we think things like: I am not enough. I am not patient enough. I am not there enough for my friends. I am not enough for my spouse. I feel like I do not do enough. I am not a good enough parent. I am too much of all the wrong things, and not enough of the right things. I am not a good enough Christian, I could be praying more, reading more and going to church more.

These feelings of “not enough” are so paralyzing.They come from a variety of places: Self-condemnation, lies from the enemy, comparing ourselves to others, our past hurt, or the opinions of what others believe we should be. Think about this, when is a person enough and who sets the standard for being enough? I do not recall I have ever met a person who believed they were too good of a parent, they too much of a volunteer, or that they felt like they mastered the art of being patient enough. If “enough” cannot be defined, we all could be beating ourselves up over a standard that is unachievable in our own minds. We need to be set free from feeling like we are not enough.

Here is the irony, the way to cure the “not good enoughs” is to realize that you are not enough. There is great freedom when you realize you do not have to keep trying to be enough. Furthermore, the only way to remedy the “not good enoughs” is to truly find our worth, value and identity in Christ. In Romans 7:18, the Apostle Paul said,“For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” Like Paul, we have these desires to do good but find ourselves falling short in some area.

Here is the good news as we work our way through this struggle. Jesus said in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” We wear ourselves out by trying to be “enough” for everyone else. Let’s remind ourselves that we must remain in him and allow him to do the work through us because Christ is enough.  

As Psalm 73:26 reminds us, our bodies and minds grow tired and weary but he is our strength and portion forever. Remaining in Christ is the promise of renewed strength and much fruit. Separating ourselves from the vine is the assurance we will burn ourselves out by trying to do things in our own strength. Today, let go of the chains of “not good enough” and embrace the reality that Jesus is enough for you— he always succeeds where we fail!