The world tells us, quite constantly, that we are enough. Contemporary Christian culture tells us so just as often, frequently while asserting that the world tells us otherwise.
In general, both mainline Christianity and the world are generally in accord on that sentiment, whether we admit it or not.
So then, to whom are we enough? This seems to be a quite positive phrase in a worldly sense. Its intentions are to boost self-esteem and build each other up, which is noble, undoubtedly. To the world, generally, yes, we are enough. Culture is seldom going to tell us to our face otherwise, and to someone, there will always be someone else who says you are enough.
But who do we need to be enough for? The world will all fall away, after all. It’s all temporary, and people’s opinions are always changing. I honestly find this definition and need for sufficiency to be quite shallow.
It seems to me that as we constantly seek this fleeting worldly affirmation, we are simply idolizing other people, and are living in a certain amount of pride, as that affirmation of our sufficiency is something that constantly needs reaffirmation.
We become people-pleasers in our search for the fulfillment of this desire—or rather, as Bob Kauflin of Sovereign Grace Music puts it, “people-worshippers.” So, as Christians, our question ought to be, am I enough by God’s standards?
His standard is true perfection, so the sober-minded answer, as unpopular as it may be, is no. We are not enough. And to God be the glory because we are not.
Looking at Romans 3:23, we know that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, thus meaning that not a single one of us could independently be enough. None of us can earn God’s love, as “being enough” is a matter of sufficiency at its core, nor can we merit our own salvation.
He loves us not because we are enough but, rather, despite the fact that we never will be. This is why we always praise him for his grace: because he has loved us despite us and has chosen to save us, despite our inability to ever meet his standards.
The truest form of love is that while we were still weak, Christ died for the ungodly. God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:6, 8). It is joyous and freeing to know this: that we are in fact not enough but that Christ is.
For all that believe, his righteousness is credited to us by grace through faith in Christ alone. There is no other way but to believe that Jesus, who lived a sinless life, is the Lord, that he bore the entirety of our sin—past, present and future—on the cross and that he rose again three days later, thus being sufficient for our forgiveness and salvation.
So when it comes to our own record, God looks at us and sees not our own insufficiency but rather his son’s complete sufficiency.
Therefore, it no longer matters who we are to anyone but rather who Christ was, is and forever will be. He is God, he is savior, and our value is not in ourselves, nor in what those around us think of us, but rather our value is in him. He alone is enough.
