Yep, that’s my little girl over there.
The one standing on her tiptoes, reaching as high as she can for the toy she’s practically drooling over.
The only problem is, said toy is at the top of a bookshelf that’s seven feet high.
And the stool can’t be more than six inches off the ground.
If my dear daughter is 40 inches tall…
and her tiptoe stance and arms reaching high add about a foot…
that still leaves her, oh, about three feet short.
And yet, she’s still straining and striving. Some part of her must think her goal is within reach.
I’m not sure what makes her conclude that a step stool would benefit her in this endeavor, but it occurred to me that many, many people in the world are just like my straining, striving little girl.
Grabbing and grasping.
Reaching and wrenching.
Giving their very best shot at being…enough.
Smart enough to figure God out.
Good enough to merit His favor.
Busy enough to ignore Him.
Pious enough to disregard Him.
With-it enough to not need Him.
Comfortable enough to not want Him.
And to all of these and to every other heart seeking some sort of enough, I just want to whisper this truth:
There’s only one way to measure up.
“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,
He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness,
but according to His own mercy,
by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
so that being justified by His grace
we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Titus 3:4-7
If you’ve not yet received this great salvation, you can find out more about it here.
And if you have received it, dear ones, then you already know the futility of buckle-down-and-buck-up-and-work-to-earn-what-you’ve-got-coming.
Cease striving.
Grasp only for His goodness.
Cling only to His kindness.
Marvel at His mercy.
Wallow in His washing and glory in His grace.
And there, my friends, is where you’ll find enough.
ouch! There is a book that I read years, decades ago, that rocked my world in this regard. “Tired of Trying to Measure Up” by Jeff Vanvonderen. It set me on the road to recovery from anorexia, but it also helped me see why I was on that road. Trying to measure up to anything on this earth, or anyone, is fruitless. We don’t have to measure up. Jesus already did that…and we wear His righteousness in the eyes of God if we have accepted Him as our Lord and Savior. Strong, beautiful, wonderful post, Jennifer.
I haven’t read that one, but it sounds like an excellent resource, Leah. I sometimes find it hard to balance our obligation to Christ’s sacrifice that compels us to work, with the truth you shared about God’s perspective of us wearing Christ’s righteousness. Our compulsion to work to gain favor is so deeply engrained, it’s difficult to detect and even more difficult to root out. And I dare not swing the pendulum too far, casting aside the principles of service and holiness altogether. I’m sure you can tell that God still has much to teach me about this topic! 🙂 Thanks for your thoughts, friend.
I felt myself exhaling as I read these words of encouragement. No, we don’t need to keep striving, and that is such a relief. Jesus did it all. What amazing grace that is to think about.
Amen, Dawn! He did it all.
You gave a great example for the way we try to be enough. And then the truth from scripture–wonderful message!
Thanks so much, Carol!