Our worship team often leads the congregation in the song, ‘Christ Is Enough for Me’. The chorus says ‘everything I need is in You, Everything I need’. Each stanza offers worship to the Lord declaring a biblical truth. In the ambience of worship and emotions, I’m sure most people at that moment believe every word they are singing. The Holy Spirit always challenges me to ask myself, am I living this out in my daily life? Do I practice living with the mindset, Christ is enough for me, and everything I need is in Him? ‘Christ Is Enough for Me’ is a declaration of who He is and not necessarily a statement of who I am. All I need IS in Him, but I have to receive it and put it into practice. Our challenge becomes implementing the truth we sang into every facet of our being.
Indicators we aren’t allowing Him to be everything we need are numerous—worry, fear, discontent, selfish ambitions, desire for revenge, unforgiveness, legalism, etc. The first aspect in which we must allow Him to be enough and all we need is our salvation. Anytime we move beyond the simplicity of the Gospel adding stipulations, rules, traditions, etc., we are essentially screaming ‘Jesus you aren’t enough’. Note what Paul proclaimed, In Him you have been made complete (Col 2:10). If something is complete, it doesn’t require more. Note the place we find completeness—In Him. When Jesus isn’t enough, we are always one arm’s link away from complete peace, constant joy, or absolute trust in Christ. Jesus is all we need for our salvation.
Peter added to the truth that He is all I need in life. His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence (2Pe 1:3). Life today can become extremely complicated if we don’t trust Him to be all we need. Just the troubled situations around the world and the social discontent in the USA can totally disrupt people who fail to allow Him to be enough. While sitting in prison, Paul gave us this promise. And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:19). The key word here is needs. It means requirements. It doesn’t mean all our fleshly desires. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures (Jas 4:3 NIV).
Israel’s forty years in the wilderness provides an excellent picture of God supplying His people’s needs. Surviving the conditions in the Sinai Desert were far from conducive for a single human let alone the multitude of Israelites for forty years. Yet, God led them there and anywhere He leads us, He will provide for us. He met all their needs, but not all their fleshy desires. They craved onions and leeks, but the Lord provided all the nutrition their bodies required with manna and quail for the entire trip—no record of anyone starving to death. No ice tea, no Coke, or no wine, but He supplied all the spring water they could drink. They didn’t wear the latest fashions because their clothes and shoes didn’t wear out the entire time. “I have led you forty years in the wilderness; your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandal has not worn out on your foot. You have not eaten bread, nor have you drunk wine or strong drink, in order that you might know that I am the Lord your God (Deut 29:5, 6). The cloud gave them shade during the day and the pillar of fire provided warmth at night. We can become discontent and wonder if Christ is enough if we allow the world to set the standard of what they think we should have.
Christ is all we need for serving Him in the ministry He has for us. He gives us the gifts and ability to serve. I could barely stand in front of my class in high school and give a report. Yet, when I received Christ, the Holy Spirit gave me the gift of teaching and the ability to speak to people. Since then on hundreds occasions, I have stood and taught for hours to several thousand people—and enjoyed every second. Christ has been enough for me to accomplish His work. Neither do we have to endlessly search for places and opportunities to serve. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (Eph. 2:10). Look at all this verse says. We are His workmanship; in other words He make us who we are for a reason. Why? So we could do good works. And these good works have already been created, beforehand, waiting for us to do them. Most important for this SW thought is where they are found, in Christ Jesus.
After surviving the Nazi concentration camp, Corrie ten Boom wrote, “You can never learn that Christ is all you need, until Christ is all you have.” In our journey of spiritual growth, God sometimes allows us to go through lean places and without things we believe we must have. Through these times we learn the truth that Christ is enough for me and everything I need.
Sustaining Word for the Week: Embrace the love and grace that Christ has provided. Live with the mindset, Christ is enough for me, and everything I need is in Him.