Is God enough?

My pastor presented this question to our small church a couple of Sundays ago and it really impacted me. In fact, I have a little sticky note on my computer monitor that asks that very question just to remind me daily.

The question is IF you lost everything you value in this world, your family, friends, health, job, money, looks, spouse, pets..... would God still be enough?

A tough question, isn't it?  I mean we Christians all say we love God and we live to serve Him, but then there are so many other things in our lives that tend to crowd Him out.  When I really took the time to sit and ponder this question, imagining what it would be like to lose everything, I realized that if I were honest, God wouldn't be enough. I want Him to be. I yearn for Him to be, but deep down, I get my happiness, my fulfillment from:

God AND my kids
God AND my writing carreer
God AND food, TV, movies, my heath, my hobbies
God AND my husband

That's not to say we should get rid of any of those wonderful things. God has given us so much to enjoy in this world... but have we somehow along the way worshiped (even if only a little)  the creation and not the Creator?   Isn't that why when bad things happen.. when we lose that job or we get sick or our kids get hurt or our spouse breaks our heart...  isn't that why we get so depressed and angry and shout at God, "Why? Why have You allowed this? Where are You?"

If God and only God were enough, would we try so hard to cling onto things in this world? Would we be so fearful and worried to lose them?  Because we can't lose God. He is always with us. He provides all we need. He is our Father, our Healer, our Savior, our Counselor, our Provider, our Comforter. So why should we worry or get depressed or angry when things don't go our way?When tragedy happens.  If God were enough, nothing in this world could phase us. I'm reminded of what the Apostle Paul declared he had suffered   (2 Corinthians 11)

From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.  
Three times I was beaten with rods;
Once I was stoned; 
Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;  
In journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;  
In weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—
Besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.

I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4)

God was enough for Paul. When everything else was taken away Paul had learned that God was enough.

For me, it's my kids and my writing career. Both I love dearly. Both give me great pleasure and great pain. Both I worry about. But some where in all the striving to be successful and to save my kids, I became so wrapped up in both that when either went a bit wrong or things didn't go as I planned, I got stressed. I got sad. I got worried.  That's how you know that God has been scooted over on his throne. You lose your peace.  

I don't know about you, but I want God to be enough. And I believe the only way that will happen is if I truly get to know Him, spend more time with Him, and learn about Him.  Then all the things of this world will fade away in the light of His glorious face!




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