You and I are Not Enough

Often in our culture we try to lift people up by telling them that you are enough, which is probably isn’t completely wrong in certain scenarios but in the grand scheme of our lives we are not enough. I have bought into this idea of being good enough as well. Am I strong enough, smart enough, nice enough, etc. But the big one: Am I holy/righteous enough? Or to put it in a way that would relate to everybody more: am I good enough?

No I am not. You are not. We can’t be. We never will be.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is a gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8)

“Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” (Galatians 2:16)

We can not measure up to God. We will always be imperfect. So our works could never lead us to salvation. We are a complete mess worthy of death. We are freely given from God through Christ’s sacrifice salvation, love, and freedom. 

Since arriving in Honduras there hasn’t necessarily been a ton on my mind to work through with God so I have taken the opportunity to dive into specific topics and read a lottt. This You, We, Or I are/am not enough topic came into my quiet time/reading and tied in interestingly to things here.

We do manual labor every day. Where does the motivation come from however? It can be easy for us to seek reward in people noticing how hard you are working, or maybe a paycheck. This is a unique time however where it is evident that I can’t lean on those things. We are all working hard. And none of us are getting paid. So I have been training myself to work for the Lord. Which has always been something I know and want to do, but this is a time I can really put that to practice. 

“For am now seeking the approval of man, or of God?” (Galatians 1:10)

Ephesians 2:9 continuing from 8 listed above says: “not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Me working hard everyday, or the bigger picture of me doing this mission trip does not make me more saved. I am still a mess and still not enough for salvation. I am saved by the same exact free gift that everybody else has been gifted. I am still imperfect and messed up just like everybody else. So let’s rejoice in God’s incredible grace and mercy for each one of us.

“Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Romans 6:1-2)

This doesn’t mean we can or should live in sin, and for our flesh. Rather we have freedom from the bondage of sin. “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” (Romans 6:14) We have freedom to be filled with the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22). The desires of the flesh are against the spirit, and the desires of the spirit are against the flesh. So flee from desires of the flesh in order to receive the benefits of the spirit.

So my life is not for my own desires. My life is actually to be lived for a far greater purpose. For something much more important than my temporary satisfaction. Following my own wants leads to sin which leads to death. God knows what is best for us and has already prepared the path for our lives far before we were born. So I need to trust that path and lean on Him even when my flesh is wanting differently.

Hope this encourages you, you are not enough, but it is okay. Jesus, the only one who is enough, took the death you deserve on himself. I also hope this motivates you to pursue living the life that God has for you.

I love you all a lot. Jesus loves you a heck of a lot more!

Peace,

JD