As a blogger who peruses women’s articles I frequently see this slogan: “You are enough.”
It’s usually written with good intentions – a self-esteem booster for the reader. As nice as it sounds, I know from past struggles with perfectionism it only provides momentary affirmation and a false sense of security.
I now rest in this fact: it is not a matter of if I am enough, but if I trust that Christ is enough.
We sin, we fail, we fall short, and cannot rescue ourselves from the consequences. The path to perfection is impossible and defeating.
The good news is we have reason for hope!
One man, Jesus of Nazareth, came upon this earth without a mark of disgrace against His Name.
He descended from heaven as the Son of God, holy and righteous, and offered Himself to wipe away the wrongs of the world.
He is sufficient in every way!
sufficient
/səˈfiSHənt/
adjective
- enough to meet the needs of a situation or a proposed end
Our deepest human need is salvation from sin and death, and Jesus answered it powerfully.
Once we have Christ we do not require anything else, in this life or the next. No extra conditions should be added to His salvation by grace – no achievements, human philosophies, other rituals or religions.
He alone fulfills us, and His glory sets Him apart as Savior:
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14
Our identity and worth revolve around the love He poured out at the cross and empty tomb, as told by the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
We do not search for more answers, because the Lord’s redemption is the ultimate spiritual treasure. (Matthew 13:44)
When thinking of the word sufficient, there is a double-edge to it when it comes to God. He is self-sufficient, in that He requires no outside help to exist and function as He is.
Since Christ is divinely self-sufficient, He also has the ability to be the sufficient solution; Jesus was specifically ordained within the Trinity to be Savior of mankind. Even more, He transfers all the inherent power from His divine nature to us, though we don’t deserve it. What mercy! What a blessing beyond compare! All glory goes to Him.
The 7 verses below describe why Jesus is enough, on earth and in eternity:
1. He Saves
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12
Remember, Jesus claimed to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is the only means by which we can be reconciled with our Creator.
2. He Perfects
For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. Hebrews 10:14
No burnt sacrifices, ceremonies, or Old Testament law-keeping are now necessary to atone for our sins. Under the New Covenant, Christ’s sacrifice covers us in a permanent righteousness, perfecting us before God once and for all.
3. He Equips
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence… 2 Peter 1:3
Once saved, we no longer fend for ourselves. Jesus graciously empowers us to live for Him, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Knowledge of Him and His grace sanctifies and allows us to lead holy, full lives.
4. He Blesses
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ… Ephesians 1:3
Not only does Christ grant us unbreakable joy, love, freedom, and peace on earth through His Spirit, but in saving us Jesus guarantees us a heavenly inheritance that will never fade away.
5. He Completes
For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority… Colossians 2:9-10
The dissatisfaction of our heart and the emptiness that once ruled us can be of the past. We have been made whole through Christ’s redemption, He restores us to be worshippers of God – as we were designed to be.
6. He Provides
And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19
Through Jesus we are now God’s people, and He loves to provide for us to accomplish His perfect will and bring Himself rightful glory. As pray and seek Him, He never fails to offer what we need each moment.
7. He Strengthens
Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 2 Corinthians 12:8-9
We are weak, weak creatures, but Jesus never grows weary. We can lean upon His everlasting arms and call upon Him for strength, praising Him in the process.
What a Mighty Lord we serve! Christ is glorious, and we fulfill our calling when we worship Him in totality. Rejoice and rest over this truth.
I love this post. It says so very much and so eloquently 🙂 Thank you for sharing, and I will be passing it along!
Thank you, Stacey!
The word is inspiring and I am blessed thanks so much for your service
I love this. Such a good reminder. I can be so caught up in making sure that I am doing all the things to be “enough” or “perfect” or “doing my role correctly” when He has already done all things for me. He is my saving grace and my only strength.
Thanks for the beautiful reminder.
I fall into the same thinking, too! It’s so freeing to know He carries us forward in His grace despite our sin and inability. Our worth is not in works but in Christ!
Dear Dani,
This was a beautiful reminder of how we can view ourselves in light of the perfect Jesus! I plan to revisit this article to dwell on the scriptures you chose. Thank you for encouraging women!
Carol
Yes, we have such a perfect Savior! Thank you for your encouraging words!
Something God’s really been speaking to me recently is that it’s not about me being good enough – because HE is enough. I love how you’ve gone into all the reasons why he’s enough.
Amen! He is pleased when we humble ourselves and focus on His power.
Wonderful post, Dani! You included so many of my favorite verses. They are truths to hold tight to! I love your graphic, too, so I’m pinning it for future reference.
Thank you, Charlie! And I agree, we must hold tight to the truth of His sufficiency. 🙂
I love this! Jesus is all we need.
Amen! He is everything.
Soooo good, Dani!! I agree, the pressure of us being enough does lead to a false sense of security and rest. Because when we fail, we don’t feel like we’re enough. And at some point we all do. But Christ….He never fails. He is more than enough. Even in the midst of our failures, He fills the voids and brings the peace. He’s always enough. Thank you for this encouragement today and for linking up at Salt & Light.
Well said, Alisa! He meets our every need abundantly, and loves to due so to His glory. What a Mighty God we serve. Thank you for stopping by!
This is absolutely beautiful! Thank you for sharing this!
Thank you, Jessie! Christ is so wonderful!
Love this post. I often struggle with trying to do things on my own and forgetting or ignoring Jesus’ sufficiency in ALL areas of my life. These are great reminders that in ALL things, Jesus is enough and more than I need.
I struggle with that too, Elaine! I’m so thankful for the reminders in God’s Word that reinforce that He will always be enough. Thank you for reading!
As children of The Living GOD, we are always looking for ways to please The LORD. Just like a good kid trying our best to score high in academics so that our parents can be proud of us. This very act can lead to a performance base relationship instead of one base off of pure unconditional Love. As humans we will never measure up. Ultimately it is in Christ that we can all things . Sometimes we forget that HE is A Good Father that just so happens that HE is also The CREATOR all things. He just want our hearts. Nothing more nothing less.
Amen, Sean! We are so dependent on His grace! Our hearts must be wholly committed to Him above all.
Hi,
I randomly came across this grace bound and insightful sharing. Blessed to read and strengthened again from God’s Word. Thank you.