You Are Not Enough ... And That's OK!

You're Enough!

These are words that have been uttered by therapists, encouraging friends, teachers, authors, talk-show hosts, and many more. In 2019, Oprah Winfrey reflected on this idea on her "Super Soul Conversations" podcast, where the episode is described as follows (bold print is mine):

"In a live appearance at UCLA’s Royce Hall, Oprah explains why it’s important for all of us to find our own truth. “What is the truth of me? Why am I here? And what do I have to offer?” Oprah asks. “The answer,” she says, “is yourself.” Oprah shares why you are enough, just as you are, and offers up the one question you need to ask whenever life throws you a curveball. She also shares what she wants everyone to stop doing right now."

The words sound so good and soothing, but the reality is they are misleading. Why? Because at the end of the day, I am not enough, and once I came to this understanding and embraced it, I was able to truly start living life to its fullest!

Why I Am Not Enough

You may be thinking that I have a low view of myself or need a boost of self-esteem when you hear me say I am not enough. This is not at all the case; my not being enough pre-dates me by thousands of years.

In the first two chapters of Genesis, we read the account of God's creation, including Adam and Eve, who had a perfect relationship with God and no shame in their marital relationship. However, in chapter 3, we read how this all unraveled due to the disobedience they both displayed in the Garden of Eden.

What was once a perfect relationship became one that was broken and caused Adam and Eve to hide and cover up and begin pointing the finger at God and each other.

In an instant, because of one decision, man, as a whole, was reckoned as dead to God.

And, with that, God pronounced the words that we often hear spoken at funerals, "...Till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust and to dust you will return."

One man's sin tainted all of us, and because God is holy in all facets of his being, I am incapable of being enough, no matter how hard I may toil or strive.

What Makes Me Enough

Despite you and me not being enough on our own, all hope is not lost. God, in His mercy, provided a way for us to become enough and be restored to Him.

Paul lays this out in his epistle to the church at Ephesus when he writes the following-

"And you were dead (not enough) in your offenses and sins, in which you previously walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience."

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the boundless riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household.

If I were to summarize this passage, I would say the following:

I was not enough because of my sin. But God loved me so much that in His grace, He gave me the free gift of His son, who through His death, burial, and resurrection, made a way to become enough. I've done nothing and have nothing to give other than acceptance and faith, and because of that, I am now enough and part of God's household. 🤯🤯

This, my friends, is the ONLY thing that will ever make me enough.

My prayer for all is that we will cease striving, that we will stop chasing those things that we believe will make us something or make us feel like we are enough. I hope and pray that as you read these words, you realize that the only way to be enough is through the blood of Jesus.

On The Journey With You,

Carlos

This edition was first published in The Life Design Newsletter on LinkedIn.