tim@resuscitationblog.com

Sitting in church last Sunday, my copastor, Pastor Kelsey, began with the question that is the title of this writing. “Of course,”, was my immediate response in my head. Which is the answer I knew I was supposed to give! From there Pastor Kelsey began to dismantle my knee jerk response by talking about the amount of time spent with our Savior in silence and solitude. Is he enough to fill the quiet moments, or do I supplement that time with other distractions? Oh wow! Now that I think about it, the occasional glance at my smartphone or the addition of background music seems to betray my quick, thoughtless response. Even some of my self-talk can cause my mind to wander a bit when I am attempting to focus my heart on Him.

As a result of her sermon, Pastor Kelsey has me thinking about, and working on living in a way that reflects that Jesus is enough in my day-to-day experience. A few days ago, I felt ambushed by a difficulty that likely has me thinking a bit more deeply about this. I’m sure it’s not merely coincidental this occurred in the same week as Kelsey’s sermon coupled with my preparation for my sermon this coming Sunday on the question of, “Can God be too Loving?” Our ever-participating God has a real knack for orchestrating these kinds of events! So, I have been confronted with this reality of Jesus being enough.

Allow me to explain. This past year my approval ratings have dipped significantly due to an unpopular theological stance I have taken. Now, I must confess, I really appreciate approval…ok, I don’t just appreciate it, I crave it! I try to avoid disapproval must like I avoid eating liver, or sniffing rotten meat, or…you get the idea. I want people’s approval very much and I feel devastated at times when I don’t receive it. So, the accumulative effect of a lot of disapproval of me over time reached its apex this week. I felt the jolting loss of the approval of someone who has been very important in my life. It hurt me to my core, and I wept bitter tears.

One truth that I constantly reiterate to anyone who will listen is what the Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:10:

“…you are God’s masterpiece.” (NLT)

He is always at work in our lives and cherishes each person as His own child. In other words, God approves of us. He may not always condone our poor behavior; however, He never disapproves of us. This is a transformational reality in everyone’s life. Yet is His approval enough? I want to say yes, but I know my reactions to others disapproval tells a different story about what I believe. It’s easy to use platitudes like, “Jesus is Enough”, or “God’s love is unfailing”, when I am hurting inside. Do I really believe it? When I suffer, the platitudes are not enough! However, God is active in confirming that He is enough, and nothing will separate me from His love.

Why is this so difficult to believe at times? I think it is because I have a misinformed opinion regarding pain. I am a pain reliever kind of person. Pain is bad and the theology of my upbringings has taught me if I am experiencing pain, I am bad. Get rid of the pain! I suspect I may not be alone in this belief. But what if pain could be used by my loving Father to help rid my life of anything that is not of love’s kind? Perhaps the painful extraction of the approval of people is the pathway to my understanding Jesus is truly enough! And maybe, just maybe, this extraction, which at times feels like a medic’s extraction of a bullet in a wounded soldier on a battlefield, is the loving pain of a passionate God with a desire to remove this foreign object before it kills me. Something tells me the above statement is closer to the truth than the “pain is bad” teaching of my younger days.

As I wrap this up, I think of King David’s words at the end of the 23^rd Psalm:

“Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life…” (NLT)

We know from the writings in the Jewish Scriptures that David suffered many losses throughout his life, even as the King. Yet, he wrote this astounding truth! Maybe, just maybe, he understood what I am continuing to learn from a God Who is more than enough! This does not mean I will approach every event eagerly as an opportunity to be hurt more deeply. However, this can help me become my more authentic self by allowing God to embrace me as He lovingly and passionately removes that which is toxic from me. In this way I might someday be able to say, “Yes! Jesus is Enough!”.

Pastor Tim