I. Am. Enough.

Life can get hard sometimes.  Some days are a struggle.  I mean, the kind of struggle where the very idea of getting out of bed when my husband's alarm goes off seems to be impossible.   The kind of struggle where it seems as though the weight of life is so heavy that I can't walk, or talk, or even breathe.   Some days, the idea of facing my to-do list and the worries of the day seems like too much. 
On these days, it is so hard to see myself as anything but a failure.   As anything but incompetent.  As anything but unqualified in my roles as Christian, wife, mother, daughter, and friend.  As anything but a sinner.   It is so easy to see only my faults and struggles and weaknesses in these times.   

And yet, it is in these moments that the strength of the LORD should be seen the most.   After all, it is only in weak moments that I can truly understand the grace of God. 

In these moments, I can relate completely with David when he says, "What is man, that you are mindful of him...?"   Psalm 8:4

And yet, Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." 

Sometimes, we can get caught up in all the little things we "have" to do as followers of Christ, and we can begin to feel like it is an endless checklist.  When we fall into this mindset, we begin to feel like we can never DO enough, HAVE enough, or BE enough to be worthy of God's love and salvation.  we get caught up in our own efforts and forget to see the big picture.   We can begin to see ourselves as worthless, useless, undeserving.   We begin to see ourselves as having no purpose or meaning because we can never finish our to-do lists, we continue to make mistakes, and we struggle to be "perfect," when, in reality, God never expects us to be perfect!   If we were perfect, the sacrifice of Jesus would have no meaning.  His bloodshed would be in vain if there were no sins to cover with His perfect, Holy blood.   It is only THROUGH Christ that we can obtain perfection, not through our own actions or thoughts.   

Micah 6:8 -
He has shown you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you, but to
DO JUSTLY,
     TO LOVE MERCY,
           AND TO WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD.

Too many times we expect too much of ourselves, when what the LORD expects is faithfulness.   In these times, we must remember that we were created in the very image of God!!   When we question our worth and value, we must remember that we were worth enough to God that His Son became flesh, dwelt among us, and shed his perfect, precious blood to redeem us.   If we can't see our worth in that, we are not looking.   In this, I can see that I am enough.   Enough for Him to create me in His image.  Enough for Him to shed His blood.  Enough for him to conquer death for my sake.   Enough for Him to ascend back to the Father to intercede on my behalf.   God says I am enough.  That should be enough!   And if I doubt, I can think of it from God's point of view...

I AM.         ENOUGH!            He is!  So enough already with the self-doubt.  Enough with the feeling worthless.  Enough with feeling like a failure.     Trust that God knew what He was doing when he made me/us.  Trust that, through Him, we can become what He wants us to be.  Trust that, if we are walking in the light, He can continually cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:7).  Trust that, in our infirmities, He can be glorified. 

Let this be enough:
2 Corinthians 12:8-10
9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.