Introduction

In the contemporary Christian world, there has been a lot of “hype” recently about goals.  Believers are encouraged today to follow their dreams, believe in themselves, and shut out any negative voices in their lives.  The common message of the day—“you can if you want to,” resonates with many individuals who are seeking more out of life: more followers on Instagram; more success in the business world; more enjoyable life experiences; more items checked off their bucket list.  In fact, much of this movement could be summarized by simply using the word “more”.  The message rings clear: “whatever it is you want more of, you have the power inside to achieve it!”

As I considered this message, I could not help but turn back in my mind to a Bible character, whom many consider to be a hero of the faith, whose life was not marked by the pursuit of more, or following his dreams, or believing in himself.  Rather, his life was marked by the term “enough”.  You would likely know this man’s name, he is the Apostle Paul.  Paul discusses the concept of “enough” Christianity in Galatians 2:20, where he writes “I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”  In this pivotal text, Paul teaches that true satisfaction in life is not found in getting “more”; rather, life is about finding that Christ is enough.  Notice the wording Paul uses in this text—he talks about having life and living.  Paul learned the timeless secret of truly living—it’s living in Christ.  Paul learned that true satisfaction and fulfillment in life is only found when he lives by faith in Christ and Christ lives in him.  In the book of II Corinthians Paul noted that the love of Christ controlled him, and that since Christ died, he wanted to live for Christ and not himself.

Final Thoughts

This “enough” mentality sounds drastically different from the “follow your dreams, achieve your goals, and don’t let anyone stand in your way” mentality we find promoted in our world today.  Paul came to realize that if he wasn’t living for Christ, he wasn’t truly living.  Like the Apostle Paul, we need to realize that living for ourselves only brings heartache and emptiness.  Trust satisfaction and fulfillment in life come only from putting Christ first and finding Him to be all we really need in life.  Will you follow the model of the Apostle Paul and trade the “more” mentality for a relationship with the One who truly is enough?  Will you restructure your priorities so that you can experience the “enough” filled life?

*This article appeared in the Faribault Daily New “Faith Column” in March of 2019