You Are Enough

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:26-40

There was a time in my life where I did not feel worthy of God’s love.  “I am not good enough,” I would tell myself.  As such, I felt unworthy of the love I had been given from others as well.  Then when I was born again, it felt like a flood of Godly love overwhelmed me.  It was so abundant that I had to share.  I wanted to share.  Over ten years later, that feeling has never left me.  The reason has become obvious to me lately.  You can love others as much as you have love for yourself.  This is not a self-absorbed type love.  This is a love that God has for you, and through it, you realize how valued you are to Him.  This sense of self-worth gives you a greater purpose.  A greater sense of how beautiful you are from the inside out.

Our love is as abundant as the love we have for God.  Jesus’ lesson on the greatest commandment is one of my favorites.  Most people think of it as the importance of having love for God and others.  While that is fundamentally true, it is a narrow view.  A God-centered perspective will look at love not just of others.  It begins with self.  It is no surprise that most destructive and unhealthy relationships start with a lack of love for self.  Guilt and shame through sin are instruments of the Devil that restrict one’s love for self.  But God’s grace is so transformative that it frees us to be better stewards to others because it allows for us to first forgive ourselves!  It is then that we see ourselves as God sees us; a beautiful creation that was made for His purpose.

You are a child of God.  You are beautiful, wonderfully made, and worthy.  How could you truly love God or your neighbor without realizing the incredible person that God made you?  We are driven by the world to believe that unless we buy, physically change, or become someone else, we are worthless.  But God says, “I will provide all you need.  I made you just the way you are, and I love you as is.”  You may tell yourself that you are not the person you want to be, but God wants you to know you are a special work in progress.  While you push to grow in your relationship with Christ, remember you are worthy of God’s love.  My brothers and sisters in Christ, you are quite simply enough.  Amen.