You Are Enough

Am I Enough?

A couple weeks ago I had an experience that felt super heavy to me but brought the most amazing truth to my life and I wanted to share it with you in hopes that it might bring peace to your life like it did mine. I had a long week filled with hard thoughts of self doubt and confusion. Occasionally these thoughts come up for me and I am able to work through them without falling too low, but this week was different. I let those thoughts really get to me and stay with me. Thoughts like, “I feel like I’m not enough.” or “I feel like I’m trying to prove my worth to myself and others.” I quickly felt like I was slipping into a deep dark hole I couldn’t get out of. I felt unmotivated and lost. I wrote in my journal, “I feel heavy. Like my spirit is heavy. Like I have a ton of bricks just sitting on my chest and a massive knot in my throat that won’t go away.” This carried on for a few days but definitely felt like weeks. I just felt so sad and alone. One morning, in my scripture study, it was all I could think about so I decided to pray about it and see what came to mind. I vented to God about a lot of things like I would vent to a friend. I told Him how I felt and let Him really hear and see where I was at. I felt like a mess. After my prayer I kept thinking about the word enough. What does that even mean? I want to share with you what I learned.

What is Being Enough?

After looking up different definitions of ‘enough’ on the internet, let me give you a definition of the word. Enough: Acceptable as is. Okay great….. What makes a person or better yet ME acceptable as is? Here is what God brought to my mind. I want you to think of a baby. They come into this world totally helpless. We do EVERYTHING for them while they just survive. That is all they do and yet they are enough. My two sisters just had babies. I got my first nephew a few months ago and my second niece a few weeks ago. Let me tell you, THEY ARE ENOUGH. Every time I see them or hold them my heart feels like it could explode. Just thinking about my love for them brings tears to my eyes as I think about how enough those two sweet little babies are. Every time I hold them I say things like, “he is absolute heaven.” or “she is perfect!” They don’t even do anything! Just them being alive and simply existing is absolutely more than enough! So why not the same for me or you? Why do we think we have to earn this worth or this enoughness? Why can’t we just be enough because we are alive and existing? Brene Brown, a shame researcher says, “When we can let go of what other people think and own our story, we gain access to our worthiness—the feeling that we are enough just as we are and that we are worthy of love and belonging. When we spend a lifetime trying to distance ourselves from the parts of our lives that don’t fit with who we think we’re supposed to be, we stand outside of our story and hustle for our worthiness by constantly performing, perfecting, pleasing, and proving.”

Always Enough to God.

Okay now after thinking about a sweet baby in your life and the complete acceptance you feel towards them for literally just living, I want you to think of your loving Father in Heaven. The unconditional love we feel for a baby is the same unconditional love He feels for us. His children. We are enough to Him just because we are alive and we are His children. A lot of us might think, (me included at times), “oh I’m only enough if I do X, Y, and Z.” Fill in the blank. Or, “if I am perfect, then I am enough.” That is the ultimate lie that Satan tells us. We do NOT have to hustle for God’s love or prove our worth to Him. Just like we are able to feel a portion of that unconditional love for a baby, He feels that for us. Are we imperfect and make mistakes? Yes. He knows this. He expects this. He also expects us to try and do our best. Whatever that looks like to each of us. He loves any effort and He will accept any effort. That plus you are more than enough to Him. I want to finish with the lyrics from one of my faves songs.

You Say: Lauren Daigle

I keep fighting voices in my mind that say I'm not enough
Every single lie that tells me I will never measure up

Am I more than just the sum of every high and every low
Remind me once again just who I am because I need to know

You say I am loved when I can't feel a thing
You say I am strong when I think I am weak
And you say I am held when I am falling short
And when I don't belong, oh You say I am Yours
And I believe
Oh, I believe
What You say of me
I believe

The only thing that matters now is everything You think of me
In You I find my worth, in You I find my identity

You say I am loved when I can't feel a thing
You say I am strong when I think I am weak
And you say I am held when I am falling short
When I don't belong, oh You say I am Yours
And I believe
Oh, I believe
What You say of me
Oh, I believe

Taking all I have, and now I'm laying it at Your feet
You have every failure, God, You have every victory

You say I am loved when I can't feel a thing
You say I am strong when I think I am weak
You say I am held when I am falling short
When I don't belong, oh You say I am Yours
And I believe
Oh, I believe
What You say of me
I believe

Oh, I believe
Yes, I believe
What You say of me
I believe

I haven’t quite gotten to the point where I can say to you or myself that I always believe I am enough but I CAN tell you that I KNOW God thinks I am enough. Until I can believe that for myself, I’m riding on that beautiful truth. If you are at a spot in your life where you might be feeling like you aren’t enough, remember, God always has and always will think you are more than enough just by being you. You got this my friend!

XOXO

Sav