Full Bloom Blog

I feel like everywhere I turn lately I’m getting messages from Christian (and otherwise) influencers from one of two camps: 1. You are Enough or 2. You are NOT enough…. The differences in message are a result of two approaches to life/thinking. One feeds to the emotional; what feels good and gives me the warm fuzzy feelings that are fun to feel. The other comes from a little more pragmatic perspective. Being that God made us not only emotional, but he also gave us a brain and logic neither one should be omitted. I am not an advocate for letting your emotions be your driving force. I once heard it explained like this; emotions make a terrible driver but a great passenger (if you know who said this please drop a comment below!) Your emotions don’t need to get kicked out of the car, but letting them be in full control can be destructive.

Back to the original question; Are you enough? Rather than looking exclusively to our emotions or logic, let’s look at what should be our driving force and guide in how to handle decisions and experiences: the Word of God. We have no more powerful tool or more concrete basis to stand upon and thus we should always turn to it.

When praying about this topic, the passage in which Jesus feeds 5,000 from a little boys lunch came to mind. It is recounted in Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:30-44, and what I will refer to; John 6:1-13. You should read it yourself, but my summary is that Jesus is out teaching in a remote area and he tasks his disciples with feeding the crowd of 5,000 men (which means there were WAY more than that once you factor in women and children). The disciples freak out a little because they would have to make a long trip into town and the cost of feeding the crowd would be about half a years wages. I’m not going to lie, I would probably freak out a little in that situation too. Then this little boy offers his five small loaves of bread and two small fish lunch to the disciples.

Here is why we need to hone in on the lesson in this story. Not only can Jesus do anything because he is God incarnate and is capable of incredible miracles. Not only does he care for your basic needs… Now, we’re getting back to the question of enough. What that little boy had in his little lunch, on his own was no where near enough to feed the crowd. Had he followed the modern teaching of “you are enough” he would have began distributing his little lunch and in the process fed maybe twenty people. And surely those twenty wouldn’t have had full bellies. Perhaps people would have even gotten mad about who he chose to feed. It would have been a disaster and it would not have helped or blessed anyone.

The next thing to keep in mind is that he gave his lunch to the disciples. He did not sit quietly and do nothing because he did not have enough to feed everyone. He did not withhold his tiny amount because it wasn’t enough. He was not defeated or inactive by his lack. It is easy to switch into “I’m only one person, I can’t make a difference” mode. Jesus did not turn away him nor did the disciples because it was not enough. They did not mock or dismiss him. The little boy offered his tiny portion trusting that God would do something with it. And he did do something; he made it enough. And not only did Jesus take his tiny lunch and feed the crowd, there we baskets of leftovers!

The truth is that by ourselves, none of us are enough. But if we take our own gifts and talents, no matter how small, and offer them up to the Creator of the Universe and Loving Savior, he does not turn us away or rebuke our small amount. He can use what we have and do amazing things with it. So long story long, no, you’re not enough. Neither was Noah, or Moses, or David, but it is often in our weakness that God uses us most fully. When we know that what we have on our own is not sufficient but ask for Jesus to fill in our lack that is when His glory is made known. I almost find it to be a relief, knowing that I don’t have to be enough. That’s a lot of pressure to put on yourself! It is freeing knowing that I give my best, and the Lord. Makes. It. Enough.

Jesus looked at them and said. “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible”

Matthew 19″:26

I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Phillipians 4:13