Enough

"For each one of us, He is enough."

WHEN I WAS YOUNG, I HAD THIS ANNOYING HABIT of justifying my behavior with the phrase, “Nobody’s perfect.” Of course, every parent wants to hear this regularly, and so eventually, I was told to stttooooppp. But the fact is, nobody’s perfect. The Scriptures tell us everyone has sinned and come short of the glory of God. “Everyone” leaves no one out of that statement.

Jesus came to save imperfect people. He was criticized for both consorting with sinners and for having a meal at a tax collector’s house. On another occasion, the religious leaders dropped a woman found in adultery at His feet and just waited to see how He’d deal with it. He let an awkward silence fall then made one statement, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” One by one, they all left.

There was no one among them who had not messed up. The woman’s sin seemed to be the biggest, except when all was said and done, she was the one forgiven. No one condemned her, Jesus included. In fact, nowhere in the gospels does He speak condemnation to anyone who was seeking His touch. If they didn’t have faith, He met them where they were. He showed compassion.

After His death and Resurrection, He used imperfect people to build the church. Peter, who had denied Him three times, gave the speech of all speeches at Pentecost. The apostle Paul, who had murdered Christians, became the most prolific writer of the New Testament. To those who would seem to be less powerful culturally, less intelligent in their upbringing, from those who made mistakes, He spoke the revelations of the Scripture.

All around us are imperfect people. In the pew. In the pulpit. In the ministry. In the mission field. Imperfect people spreading the gospel in politics, in education, in entertainment. People who don’t agree on many subjects, yet God keeps selecting them, keeps using them. I’ve heard the most fantastic testimonies of salvation and deliverance from gang members, Jewish professors, and Muslim youths, to name a few.

Why? Why would God keep speaking through many who don’t have all their i’s dotted and t’s crossed? People who have incorrect doctrine. People who have prejudices. People who are immature at times. Why would He risk it? That is the wrong question. We should, instead, ask, Why wouldn’t He? No man is born mature. Time must be given to grow and to learn, and along the way, we’re sure to mess up. I’ve had the Spirit sit me down before, and I’ve had to repent. Did He turn His back on me then?

No, because for each one of us, He is enough. God’s wisdom is enough. His life in us is enough. He knows the thoughts and intents of our heart, and as long as we continue to submit ourselves to His instruction, there is nothing He will not enable us to do.

“You write what interests you,” He said to me when I began this, “and I’ll help you finish it.” He places trust in me that I don’t always think I deserve. But God in me is enough, and for this, Jesus died and rose again. So that all the imperfect people with all their mess ups can still be used to speak the name of Jesus and spread the good news that He lives, He loves, He saves, He heals.

Our judgment of each other is undeserved. It is God’s mercy that calls us, God’s grace which enables us, and nowhere in there is there any room for us to decide the worthiness of another person. We are instructed, instead, to pray for all men and to bless our enemies. That covers everyone. Minister Bill Johnson spoke of a man on his staff who had seriously messed up, and he said what would change that man was time spent in the anointing, doing what he could do well.

Would that we all held that point of view and determined in our hearts to let the Holy Spirit do the convicting. Our condemnation solves nothing. God’s love came to earth so that He could be God in us, our guide through the ups and downs of life and all the imperfect people we bump into along the way. Including, many days, ourself.

“And the Scriptures agree, for it is written: There is no one who always does what is right, no, not even one!” (Romans 3:10 TPT)

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1)


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com