The other day I came across a very encouraging video. You can watch that video here. In the video the speaker encourages the audience that they do not have to find a certain mate, or make a certain amount of money, or own a certain car to make themselves complete. “You are enough,” the speaker proclaims to loud cheers. But as encouraging as the video is, it is not entirely accurate.
You are not enough.
Of course you do not like hearing that. As the audience in the video demonstrated, it is nice to hear that you are enough and that you do not need anything else to complete you. But if we were to be truly honest with ourselves, that while it is nice to embolden ourselves with thoughts like “I am enough”, we would admit that it is not true.
Be honest with yourself. Do you really live up to even your own standards? Are you really as moral as you could be? Are you really as productive as you could be? Are you really as fit as you could be? Are you really as intelligent as you could be? Are you really as good of a parent as you could be? Are you really as good of a child as you could be? Are you really as good of a friend as you could be? Do you really satisfy your own standards? If we were to be truly honest with ourselves, we would admit that even on our best days we often times fall short.
While we may be able to stand in front of the mirror, give ourselves a pep talk, and convince ourselves that we are enough … inevitably that pep talk will run straight into reality and we will find ourselves in front of the mirror having to lie to ourselves to get through another day.
But even if we can satisfy our own standards, who says that our standards should be what we should be trying to attain? What if our standards are too low? Maybe you think your work effort is good enough but maybe your boss begs to differ and so fires you. Maybe you think you are a good enough husband/boyfriend but your wife/girlfriend thinks otherwise and so divorces/dumps you. Whose standards are right?
But listen, I am not in total disagreement with the speaker. I agree with him that no person, job, material possession, body figure, amount of money or success will complete you. One reason is because we will always be looking for more or realize that none of that will bring ultimate peace of mind. So I agree that we need to give up trying to find something or someone to complete us.
But even if we do that, it does not mean that we are enough in ourselves. We will let even our own selves down. We will inevitably come to the end of ourselves.
So what is the solution to this problem?
Interestingly the solution is known by the speaker in the video. I am relatively certain that the solution is what motivated the speaker to conclude what he did, but the speaker left out the solution that allowed him to make the conclusion.
The speaker mentioned Jesus.
Jesus is how we become complete. How?
First, Jesus tells us that we are loved even if everybody in the world hates us. Jesus tells us that we are loved even though we are flawed. Jesus tells us that our value does not lie in our material possessions, accomplishments, or accolades. Jesus tells us that our value lies in God, not in anything else. What God has given us no person can take away. The loving embrace of a parent is enough to overcome the taunts of the meanest of bullies.
Second, Jesus does not lead us down a misguided path and give us pie-in-the-sky talk that will only last for a while. Jesus is honest with us and tells us that we are flawed, immoral, imperfect, not enough. Acknowledging this allows us to deal with our failures in a healthy way. Instead of being surprised with our failures, we should expect them. Imagining ourselves as perfect is falling for the same lie that the emperor with invisible clothes was told. If we know we are not enough, then when we are shown to be deficient we will readily admit the deficiency and not be shaken by it.
Third, Jesus sees what we lack and bridges the gap. If we are immoral, he offers us forgiveness and gives us his righteousness (John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:21). If we are unattractive, he tells us he does not care what we think of ourselves or what others may say, we are his beautiful, spotless bride (Luke 7:36-50; Ephesians 5:25-27). (Side note: If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then how can you tell him he is wrong? Everyone, even Victoria Secret models, require the airbrush to look perfect, and even then there is only so much airbrushing can do after a certain age.) If we are poor, Jesus tells us our awaiting inheritance is priceless (John 14:2-3; Revelation 21:7). If we think ourselves to be unsuccessful, he tells us our smallest acts are recognized by God (Matthew 25:34-40; 1 Peter 5:10). If we have some malady, he shows us how can we can be powerful even while weak by demonstrating powerful confidence in the grace and hope God has given us (John 9:1-34; 2 Corinthians 12:9).
Jesus is the solution. Without him all our pep talks will inevitably fail. With him we have strong confidence that our failures are not downfalls but demonstrations of the power and truth of God in us.
Is Jesus standing with you when you look at yourself in the mirror? If he is, you are made complete. If he is not, then keep trying to ignore the empty space made up of your deficiencies … you will only be able to do it so long. But Jesus is not far away. Simply humble yourself and ask him to complete you. He will. More than you could possibly imagine.
(Want to know more about how Jesus can complete you? Please feel free to contact me. I would love to help you see more of him in your mirror.)
curtis e schulz 