Sweet girl, you are enough.
Yes, you. I'm talking to you.
I know the world is telling you to be prettier, more outgoing, more social, more talented, more Instagram worthy. I know that sometimes the world even tells you to tone down who you really are, because you're "too much". We're constantly bombarded with messages that scream "who you genuinely are is not enough and you can't be enough unless you change!".
I feel it. Every single day, and I know so many other people do too.
Because it's not just the world or social media that screams it. Sometimes, the people we love most do too, and those whispers of "you aren't enough" often hurt more than the screams of the world. Sometimes it's the whispers of "you aren't enough" when you repeatedly get left out. Sometimes it's when you get made fun of, but they brush it off as a joke. Sometimes it's when you give and give and give, but they never give anything to you in return. Sometimes it's when you open up and tell them how you're hurting and they come back with how they're hurting worse. Or maybe, sometimes it's when you feel good about yourself and confident and then they shut you down.
Every day, in more ways than one, we're told we're not enough.
But I'm here to tell you that no matter how many times you hear that, it is such a lie and it will never, ever be the truth.
You are enough.
Your smile? It's beautiful, please don't try to hide it. Your laugh? It radiates joy, please don't try to tone it down. Your body? It does so much for you, and is called a masterpiece by the creator of the universe, so please, honor it. Your talents? Those are a gift from God, let them shine! Your personality? You were made to be you for a reason, and you have a purpose, so don't change who you are because God made you perfectly.
You are enough.
It is so easy to believe that we aren't enough. We hear that lie over and over again and it starts to sink in. That one comment or action someone makes takes root and it ruins the way you see yourself. So many of us consciously or subconsciously truly believe that we have to change some part of us to be enough, to be loved, to fit in, or to be wanted.
But Jesus declared that you are enough. He filled the empty parts of you so that you would be enough, completely whole through His blood.
You see, when Jesus came to earth, He didn't come simply to be a good teacher or heal some people. He didn't come because God forced Him to or because He had something to prove. He came because He wanted to show you how so very loved you are, just the way you are. He came to fill you up, because we can't be whole or completely enough on our own.
He came because at the end of His life, He was going to have to face the cross. He had two options, really. He could save Himself, like He's saved other people, and prove to the world that He really is God and that they shouldn't mess with Him. Or, He could suffer through the crucifixion, bearing the weight of the world on His shoulders and endure the most horrific pain simply because He wanted to know you personally, and give you the opportunity to know Him and His Father personally too.
He chose the latter.
He chose a relationship with you over popularity, worldly success, or even being understood. He chose you.
We keep hearing that we aren't enough, we aren't worthy of being loved. But God created us in His image, with a purpose in mind and a beautiful plan in place. He loves you, sweet girl, just as you are. Sins and all. Flaws and all.
And when He came, He didn't only declare that you are now enough through His blood, He also declared that you are made whole again. Because we all know that we aren't perfect. We don't have it all together, and we mess up sometimes (okay, maybe a little more than sometimes). He declared that you are loved, just as you are, and He fills every hurting part of you. He completes you and satisfies you in a way you never knew you craved.
We are enough, and because of Jesus, we can be completely filled and whole and made new again.
What I'm about to say may seem like it contradicts everything I've just said, but it's important for me to mention.
We cannot save ourselves. We will never, ever be worthy of what Jesus did on the cross. We can't achieve perfection or earn God's love. If those are the standards, then we will never be "enough". But, through His death on the cross, He filled all the unworthy parts of us. We can't do it by ourselves, but because of what He did - we can be in a relationship with our Father in Heaven and that is the most glorious thing. It is only through Christ that we are enough, because without Him, we'd be lost and searching for purpose and love in all the wrong places.
Here's what I want you to walk away with.
You, your genuine, true, authentic self, is enough. You are loved. You are incredible just the way you are, and there is no need for you to try to conform to any standard that the world tries to compare you to. Jesus chooses you, and He loves you so very much (and so do I!). Anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is lying.
You are loved, and you are enough through Christ's blood.
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