During my hectic second semester in college, I had a screensaver on my phone that said, “you are enough.” I was struggling to keep up with all the tests and papers that were due as the semester came to a close, and I did not feel like my efforts were ever enough. But no matter how hectic it got, that screensaver told me I was enough, and somehow, that made me feel better. Even though I had to let a few things go that semester, I never felt too bad about it. I was still enough.
Except… I wasn’t.
I could not do it all on my own. I think was fully aware of that fact the entire semester, despite the constant reminder on my phone. I was not enough, and nothing I could do would change that. I am a bit of a control freak, so this was not the easiest to admit. No part of me wanted to think I could not do it all on my own. It wasn’t that I was afraid of asking for help, I just didn’t want to need help.
As I was struggling with that thought, I realized that I was not made to be enough. God never expected me to tackle life alone. In fact, He created humans to be dependent on His power. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” With that in mind, there are a few practical ways we can rely on His strength every day.
Trust Him in the small things.
Surprisingly, this is one of the hardest things for me to do. I believe Yahweh is more than able to heal sickness and stop wars, but I find it hard to let God have control over the little things in my life. Not because I think He does not care, but surely the Creator of the universe has more to worry about than what grade I make on my psych final. Thankfully, though, that is far from true. God cares for His children more than we can ever imagine and He wants to be involved in every part of our lives, even the little things. He can erase anxiety and replace it with peace far greater than we could begin to understand. When I admitted I could not do it all alone, I began to realize exactly how many areas I needed God’s help in. When I began letting God in the small areas of my life, it became easier for me to trust Him with the big things.
Believe He is there, even when He is silent.
Sometimes, it can feel like God is being silent. It is difficult to trust Him when we cannot see what is coming next. But just because He is not clearly guiding our steps does not mean He is not still there. Always be listening for His guidance, even when you are surrounded by silence. God will never leave you struggling on your own. If He feels silent, try to spend that time wisely, and invest in where you are and who you are with. I have found that sometimes I cannot hear God because I am being too loud. I am filling my life with things that clutter my mind and make it hard to hear Him speak. Other times, I do not hear Him because I do not want to listen. No matter why His voice is hidden for you, remember He will always be there, listening patiently and waiting for your response.
Pray when you think you have it under control.
We serve a God who brings “peace that surpasses all understanding.” (Philippians 4:7) Sometimes God blesses us with times of sweet peace. In those calm periods of life, it can be easy to get comfortable with where we are and forget how we got there. When I have times of peacefulness and rest, I tend to get a little prideful and think that I have done everything right to get to a place of simplicity and stillness. Of course, that is not true. Nothing I can say or do will change God’s sovereignty, and He is the one who blesses us with both the rough patches and the times of quiet. I need to trust Him to guide me through the smooth sailing just as much as I do through the rough waters.
It can be a peaceful feeling to realize you are not enough. We were not created to do it all on our own. God created His children to be dependent on Him. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, the author says, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” Paul knew he was made to reflect God. Each individual was made for a specific purpose, but they can only fully fulfill that purpose when relying on His strength. So when you feel like you are not enough, remember that that is okay. More than okay, because that is how God designed you to be.
