Am I Enough: Embracing The Truth About Who You AreSample

Lie #2: Love Must Be Earned

Being “good enough” isn’t the point of being a Christian. Christianity is rooted in a relationship with Christ. It’s about calling Him friend. It’s about failing and admitting defeat. It’s about knowing we’re not perfect and prone to wander. But it’s also knowing that God gave His Son to die for our sins, and that we are forgiven by His grace alone—not by anything we’ve done. God forgives me every day! If I had to earn God’s love, I’d be in big-time trouble. None of us deserve to call ourselves a friend of Christ. God’s love is a gift, freely given to you for no other reason than He wants to give it to you.

I’m going to be honest with you. I’ve made mistakes that made me feel shameful. Technically, I’m a virgin, but I used to create loopholes when considering purity in my own life, pushing boundaries in unhealthy ways. I had to learn that my body is not my own, to surrender it to Christ, and obediently take control of my desires and temptations. No matter where you are, you can give this life and your actions back to the One who gave you life—beginning with your thoughts. Strive to think about whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. Stop searching for loopholes and focus on trusting His good, perfect, and pleasing will. Remember it is God’s will, not our will; He knows what He’s doing. He knows what your relationships need, too, so look for people (especially a man) who also want to please God first.

You’ll never find a place in the Bible where it was too late for someone’s sins to be forgiven; you’ll never find a person whose sins were too bad for Jesus to forgive. You will also find that ordinary people have stories that can show people God’s forgiveness and grace. At one time, I thought my story just seemed too common for other people to find interesting. Yet I’ve learned that God can use my story to help grow His kingdom and help someone else see His glory. 

God works in different people’s lives in different ways. God doesn’t think our problems are too small. He invites us to come to Him as we are and to talk with Him. When we do, He’s able to ease our pains and mend our broken hearts. He wants to do that for us because we are His creation. He loves us. Not because of anything we have done, not because we’ve earned it or deserve it, but simply because we are His. It’s crazy to think that the Creator of everything is so into us as individuals that He speaks to each of us personally. Let’s let our lives serve as a dance that demonstrates His love so beautifully that others will want to join in.

Respond

How would you describe the relationship you have with God—on up days and down days? 

When you think about what Jesus did on the cross, what impact does this have on how you see Him and yourself?

How have your relationships—especially with guys—impacted your relationship with God? 

How might God use your need for Him to encourage someone who is struggling with being “enough”?