I am NOT enough.

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast al the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Friend, please hear the love and concern in my voice when I say: I think we need to stop telling ourselves, “You are enough.”

First of all, as believers, we already confessed we are not enough when we placed our faith in Jesus. 

Beyond that, I know those words are supposed to be empowering, but frankly, I think they’re exhausting.

I get the sentiment behind it, I really do. As women we often feel like we fall short of some ideal standard.  We feel like we need to do more, be more, or be more like someone else to really be considered valued and worthy. “You are enough” can serve as a reminder that we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14).

More often, though, we use those words as a sort of self-promoting pep-talk.  We say, “I am enough,” when we are feeling vulnerable or when life feels out of control.

And the honest truth is, we can never be enough.  And if we keep trying to be, we are going to wake up one day to find ourselves empty and burned out from trying to be more and do more and give more than we are capable of on our own.

What if, instead, we gave ourselves permission to NOT be enough?  What if it was okay to realize we have limits, and we get tired, and sometimes we even need to partner up with the Holy Spirit to work out some character flaws in our own hearts?  

What if we let ourselves say, “I am NOT enough, but Jesus is?”  

Because that is the best news of all.  In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul put it this way.  “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast al the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

We don’t HAVE to be enough, because Jesus promises to be enough for us.  And when we let Jesus uphold us, strengthen us, and carry us through our weaknesses, then He is glorified, and we are freed from an impossible burden.  

So please, give yourself permission to let go and stop striving for the impossible.  Instead, let your small, simple soul fall into the loving, limitless arms of Jesus.  He is our enough.  

Until next time,

Shelby