Sufficient.

Sufficiency. I want us to think about that word for a minute. What does it mean? It used to mean that something was "enough." However, our current American, indivualistic, bigger is better, I want just as much as the next person as skewed our understanding of the word. As a society we have lost sight of what it means to have enough, look at where we are in the economy. People weren't satisfied with a one bedroom condo, they need to have a three bedroom with a full basement ranch house even if it was out of there price range. We go out to eat a buffet style restaurants and each several plates when we can really only handle one. We will but the newest plasma screen HD TV even though our savings is running dry... but we have plenty of credit. We are more concerned with our outward appearance than our inward motivations.

Sadly, the church has come to mirror this cultural trend. As a body we are concerned with flashier Powerpoints, larger sanctuaries, and Starbucks style coffee areas. As individuals, we have bought into the world's sales pitch that if we only "do more" then God will accept us and reward us. But that is not the Gospel. That is a self-centered way of ensuring our place in heaven. Some might say "If I only do more, give more, sacrifice more then I will earn the right to be called a child of God." All those things are good, but our hope for the future rests of the sufficient work of Jesus on the cross. Nothing we have done or will ever do can earn God's love... it is a free gift that was given to us by the sacrifice of the our Savior. When he spoke the words "It is finished," it truly was done. Everything sin that we have committed in our life was paid for with Christ's blood.

When we think that we are more important than we actually are, Jesus whispers these words to us...

"My grace is sufficient for your, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

It is not our power, but his that will get us through the day. When we surrender to him and declare our dependence then Jesus and can truly guide us.