ENOUGH Already!

Ever said these words? “I’ve had it! Enough is enough! I'm sick and tired and I can’t take it anymore! I’ll never be good enough! I’ve had ENOUGH!” ENOUGH already!

ENOUGH (in the context of “had enough”): outraged, tired, sick, weary, disappointed, fed up, overwrought, up to here, teed off

We’ve all been there – to the crushing point of exhaustion, when we’ve long stood for an answer to our prayers and it seemed the prayers were hitting ceiling and we were left feeling hopeless and incredibly disappointed. Maybe you’re reading this today and you REALLY relate to those emotions. The sheer monotony of it all is tiring! It sucks the life out of us to try some more, only to be disappointed again. The enemy jerks us around with “you’re not good enough, young enough, smart enough”, “you might as well give up, you’re going to fail again – you’re JUST NOT ENOUGH”. So we declare...."ENOUGH already!" That kind of weariness is a soul fatigue that needs real soul rest.

I get that. Praying and giving and caring for others wasn’t enough. Doing the right thing didn’t even seem to be enough. It’s only when I came to the end of my rope and my own abilities that I realized “I can NEVER be enough, on my own.”

Those thoughts and words are very likely RIGHT ON. We aren’t enough and we don’t have to feel guilty for the frustration. Even Jesus acknowledged in the Garden that He would rather have the cup He was about to drink pass from Him. He understands us and, mercifully, we don’t have to be ENOUGH because our Heavenly Father IS ENOUGH. His love for us is inexhaustible. No matter how much of God’s generous love we experience, there is always more available for the asking. If ever anyone had ENOUGH, it was St. Paul and rather than declaring "ENOUGH!", he gave us the key to survival: "He (God) said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me." 2 Corinthians 12:8-10

Years ago I was a co-narrator for a Jewish Seder Passover Meal at my church. A beautiful prayer, recited during the meal, was the refrain “Dayenu” which translates to “It would have been ENOUGH for us.” Here is some of that prayer:

“God, if you had only created us, it would have been enough for us. If you had only freed us from slavery in Egypt, it would have been enough for us. If you had only given us your wise Law, it would have been enough for us. If you had only fed us with manna, it would have been enough for us. If you had only brought us into the Promised Land, it would have been enough."

The prayer lists many more blessings that God has poured out on His people and concludes: “How much more do we have to be thankful for the manifold and unbounded blessings of the All-Present God!” What a great prayer for us today! No matter how much we realize all that God has done for us, there is always more. Maybe we have been blessed in ways that we haven’t even noticed. Certainly there are still more gifts He has in store for us. There is never a reason to doubt that God wants to give us more, and in fact, is likely orchestrating the presentation of that MORE right now!

Maybe we should come up with our own "Dayenu" list. We should think of the ways our Heavenly Father has provided for us, blessed us, and revealed His love to us. Maybe we should take some time in prayer today to rejoice in His boundless gifts in our life—past, present, and future.

“Lord, if you had only forgiven my sin and removed my guilt, it would have been enough. But You have done so much more. All praise to You, my God of MORE THAN ENOUGH!”