Maybe you’ve seen inspirational quotes or merchandise along the lines of “You are enough.” It’s a saying that’s trending now—something people find encouraging.
But I’ve seen this idea debated by Christians on social media. Someone might post a status meant to encourage others along the lines of, “You’re enough just the way you are.” In response, some Christians push back. They might respond saying something like, “But we’re not enough on our own. We need God.”
Both sides have a point and are saying something true. But I wonder if those who argue, “but we’re not enough” might be missing the intention of this encouragement. I also don’t believe humanity is “enough” or perfect on its own and doesn’t need God. But I don’t think denying our need for God and others is what Christians mean when they say, “You’re enough.” I think they’re saying, You don’t have to wait until you think you’re good enough to experience a joyful and whole life. Your imperfections, real or perceived, don’t sentence you to a life of self-rejection or self-hatred.
“You’re enough” may just be a simple way of saying, That gnawing feeling that you have to fix everything you think is wrong with you before you can be at peace. You can let go of that. You are loved—now. You don’t have to live in a place of aching to be “more.” You’re enough—now.
Understood this way, the saying can be an invitation to surrender shame. No faults we see in ourselves mean we can’t be fully loved and embraced already now. Even in our imperfections.
Romans 5:8 says that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” For those familiar with the gospel story, this verse might feel like it’s saying the obvious. Of course we were sinners before Christ redeemed us; otherwise, there would have been no need to save us.
But Paul suggests that this truth says something essential about God’s love. God didn’t save us so that He would be able to love us—God saved us because He already did love us. That means that God’s love is not a kind of love that holds back at a distance, cringing, when it detects faults.
It’s not a kind of love that waits until we’ve cleaned up our acts to reluctantly offer us a plan to get back in God’s good graces.
It’s a steady, unchanging love that rushes in and says, “I love you already now. Completely. Unconditionally.”
And that’s the paradox of grace—only love like that can heal those parts of us that feel broken beyond repair. Our “not enough” becomes exactly enough, the place where we encounter the transformation that only the healing balm of God’s unconditional love can bring.
–Written by Monica La Rose. Used by permission from the author.
One Response
Monica, phew. I needed these words: "That gnawing feeling that you have to fix everything you think is wrong with you before you can be at peace. You can let go of that. You are loved—now."
I am in fix it mode these days, needing to rest and remember I am loved as I am.
Thank you!