Enough

Sunday morning retuning: Our big idea from Sunday’s message was one that can easily seem too familiar. “Jesus is all I need.” I already know that you might be tempted to say. But as I have reflected on that the last couple of days some other things have come to mind. Read on…

You see this is another simple statement with huge ramifications. There is on the one side the indisputable reality of it. Jesus really is all that I need. You have heard if said, “If I have the whole world but not Jesus, then I have nothing. But if I have nothing in the world but Jesus, I have everything.” Jesus is all I need. Let’s call this the positional dimension. That is, my position is that Jesus is all I need.

Then there is what I will call the experiential dimension. In my living, or experience, can the same be said. Though Jesus remains all that I need positional, I sometimes live, experientially, like this is not the case. That is, sometimes I live like Jesus [and this other thing that is really important to me at the moment] is [are] all I need.

I would rather that were not the case. I want my experience and my desire to line up with my position, but it does not always work that way. I wonder if you are willing to be honest and admit the same is true of you.

I am tempted at this point to develop a treatise on the flesh and why we have this internal struggle, but I would like for you to wrestle with some of the things I have been wrestling with this the last couple of days. Names withheld for anonymity and application.

We say, “Jesus is all I need”, but what do we say then…
…to the little girl whose daddy just told her mom he is leaving and not coming back.
…to that family who to a person is more excited about their vacation than they have been about anything in a long time.
…to the “30 something” wife who has recently been attending church without her husband because of his recent illness, and may be doing so for the rest of her life.
…to the one who believes yet has nagging doubts and fears
…to the young man addicted to pornography sitting there in church Sunday morning feeling even more defeated than ever.

Needless to say, what we say to them will not be q quick fix. Rather we need to love them and live with them through this. And that may take a long time, but I believe as never before that Jesus is and will be enough, even all they need.

Jesus, all of You is more than enough for all of me, for every thirst and every need. You satisfy us with Your love and all we have in You is more than enough. [Chorus from “Enough” by Chris Tomlin and Louie Giglio, choir anthem for this Sunday]

In Christ,

Pastor Timothy