If I could use emojis to explain this week’s word for me, it would be all the grumpy and frustrated faces. Sufficient to me, means, enough, as in not one iota more than is needed.
Because of this, I have always struggled with the verse, “My grace is sufficient for you..." 2 Corinthians 12:9 Pondering this word and my reaction to it this week I have realized that the Lord may be trying to redefine this word for me in a way that I will understand. There have been words that the Lord has already redeemed and redefined in my life, but for the word sufficient I am still very much in the trenches.
“If I could use emojis to explain this week’s word for me, it would be all the grumpy and frustrated faces.”
I am learning to dig deeper when I feel myself avoiding a word or a feeling a word stirs up. This week as I pondered sufficient I began by peeling back the layers. One layer is that somewhere I learned that sufficient meant I would only ever have exactly what was needed. I have never liked that definition, and I had to ask why?
Part of the reason may be that I really dislike the idea of having to live “paycheck to paycheck” for all my life. It would be so much nicer to have more than I needed so I could have some cushion.
As I dug deeper into that train of thought I realized that it is an area where I still lack trust. I am still fighting my fleshly beliefs that I know better what is best for me and I don’t trust that the Lord is going to get it “right”.
When I write this down I know how wrong it is! I can immediately point to many times in my life where my Heavenly Father did what was best for me and everything worked out in a way I could never have orchestrated! His ways not only are the best for me but for many around me, I am focused only on me. The Lord did show me a few verses this week to reiterate His provision.
In Exodus 36:7 the Hebrew version of the word sufficient means more than enough. “For the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more.”
And then 2 Corinthians 9:8 says, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” I love all the “All’s”!
Neither of these verses suggests a stingy God, and then I am reminded that “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” James 1:17
“The Lord may have a specific love message for you about sufficient! ”
That’s as far as I have gotten this week. I will continue to seek the Lord and ask Him to show me the truth of this word. Don’t assume my hang-ups are yours. The Lord may have a specific love message for you about sufficient!
~ Meet Kelly Harvie ~
Kelly Harvie has been married to her husband Matt for 28 years. They have five grown children with only one left in college. Kelly spends her time caregiving for her husband, connecting with her children, working at Artios and as much time reading as she can find!