Enough – A Determiner

Enough determines if we are sufficient.

Are we sufficient to be loved unconditionally by our family?
Are we sufficient to be blessed in our lives?
Are we sufficient for the Lord to answer our prayers?
Are we sufficient for anyone to love us?
Are we sufficient to have friends?

When we don’t feel sufficient, we often don’t feel enough. 

As I shared in my vlog, my mom got pregnant at 14.

Growing up, I struggled to feel loved, noticed, approved of, or even proud in her eyes. My dad was often absent, and when he was around, he was angry and mean. My siblings and I fought for any attention we could get from our parents, which bred jealousy among us.

This pervasive feeling of “not enough” led me to sabotage relationships that could have been healthy. I often felt I didn’t deserve the good things that came my way, pursuing love and acceptance from people who couldn’t fulfill those needs. My longing for worth was inextricably tied to my family.

When things went wrong, I blamed those who spoke the truth—my friends who encouraged me to confront my feelings, my mentors who challenged me to see my worth beyond my family’s perceptions, and even my counselor who patiently guided me through my pain. They stepped into my messy life, offering support and honesty, yet I saw them as enemies. Their words felt like accusations, forcing me to face the reality I was avoiding.

I had a friend who recognized my deep, profound hurt. She could see how I reacted to situations, desperately trying to escape the feeling of not being enough. With patience and love, she gently corrected me. I often tried to push her away, but she wouldn’t let me. She saw the bigger picture and understood my need to view things differently. “The hard reality was that I might always feel lacking in my parents’ eyes. Thus, lacking in every area of my life. 

This mindset carried over to my view of the Lord. I felt He was responsible for my circumstances. Growing up in a “Christian home,” I believed I was the reason everything was going wrong. Again, I thought the Lord couldn’t change my circumstances because I was simply not enough.

As we explore the topic on not being enough lets turn to the Bible.

What better way to see how God sees us by looking deeply into scriptures: 

Let’s begin in Exodus 2, where a boy is born into a priestly tribe at a time when there was an edict to kill all baby boys in Egypt. Faced with this desperate situation, his family devises a clever plan: they build a waterproof basket and hide him in the reeds by the bank of the Nile.

Unexpectedly, the Pharaoh’s daughter, the very one whose father ordered the killings, comes down to the Nile to bathe. While walking along the riverbank, she discovers the baby. Moved by pity, she brings him home and raises him as royalty.

If we stop here, it sounds like a remarkable story of a boy saved from destruction and elevated to a life of privilege. She names him Moses, which in Egyptian means “Man of Royalty,” while in Hebrew it means “Drawing Out.”

Before we dive deeper into the significance of Moses’s name, let’s consider how Moses might have been raised:

1. Pharaoh ordered the killing of all baby boys born into Israelite families.
2. Moses was hidden in reeds in the Nile so as not to be killed. He was found by Pharoah daughter, who took Him in as her own.
3. Moses was aware of his heritage; in verse 11, when he was an adult, he looked with compassion at the hard labors of his fellow countrymen. 
4. Moses was torn between two worlds
5. When he witnessed an Egyptian beating a Hebrew—his own people—he acted out of rage, killing the Egyptian and burying him in the sand. 
6. The next day, when he found two Hebrews fighting, he asked, “Why are you striking your friend?” They responded with suspicion: “Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” 
7. Fear set in; Moses realized his secret was out. “Certainly, this incident is known.” Now, Pharaoh wanted him dead. 
8. So, Moses ran!

I believe like us, Moses was lost. He likely didn’t feel like he was enough. Belonging to two different families resembles the experiences of many kids we work with—those whose parents have divorced and started new families. Where does the original child belong? They find themselves living only part of the family unit, not the whole. I could only imagine, Moses being torn between these two worlds, feeling like he didn’t fit into either.

When we don’t feel enough, we often compensate, striving to prove our worth to those whose affirmation we seek. In Moses’ case, his attempt to prove himself to the Hebrews backfired; what he tried to do in his flesh led to murder and a desperate attempt to cover it up. Now, the situation was worse, and he had to flee.

Moses’ name means “drawing out,” and he was about to be drawn out by God in profound ways. He was first rescued as a baby, hidden in the Nile, drawn out to live in a powerful home. Later, he was drawn out into the wilderness due to a crime he committed. Yet ultimately, he would be drawn out to rescue those from the place he had fled.

When Moses left Egypt, his whole world came crashing down. It’s natural to feel despair in such moments. Consider the thoughts that may have plagued him alone in the wilderness. Was he angry with himself for murdering someone? Did he feel abandoned, wondering why he wasn’t enough? What thoughts would occupy your mind? Would you want to bury the shame of your actions, hoping it would never resurface? Would this be the moment you disqualified yourself from serving the Lord because of your mistakes?

Forty years later, Moses’ past became a distant memory. Once living in royalty, he now tended sheep. He didn’t know that his grandfather had died, nor did he realize that the Lord was preparing to answer the cries of the children of Israel. He was unaware of the divine interruption about to unfold or that God would call him.

How do we respond when the Lord begins to move in our lives? In Moses’ case, God drew him out by appearing in a burning bush that was not consumed by the flames. Intrigued, Moses turned away from the sheep to get a closer look. At that moment, the Lord had his attention.

God called out, “Moses, Moses!” To which Moses replied, “Here I am.”  

Have you ever wondered what Moses prayed during those last 40 years—or if he prayed at all—before receiving a message from God? What’s your prayer? Have you stopped praying? Are you asking God where He is or why He hasn’t answered? Are you turning toward the place where God is? If you do, you might just hear Him calling your name.

The Lord then shared His heart with Moses, revealing how He would use Moses to answer the prayers of the children of Israel. The King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, said to Moses, “I am sending you.”

In response, Moses asked God a series of questions, similar to how the girls I work with respond when asked to do something they’re unsure about. Usually they are trying to get out of it. 

Moses asked:

1. Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?
2. What is your name, and what shall I say to them?
3. What if they don’t believe me or take me seriously?

God answered these questions with reassurance, saying, “Certainly I will be with you.” He won’t call us and then leave us stranded. The God who can set a bush on fire without it being consumed goes with us.

Yet it seems Moses may have forgotten who his God is. So God reminded him that He is the “GREAT I AM”—the very one standing before him is Yahweh. But then Moses became aware of his limitations, worrying about what people might think: What if they don’t believe that the Lord has sent me? This fear often paralyzes us before we even begin.

So God revealed His incredible power to Moses, showing him that he need not fear man, for God would use him to reveal their rescuer: the GREAT I AM.

Still, after all this, Moses said, “Lord, please, I am not good with my speech. I don’t speak eloquently.” In this moment, Moses seemed to reject God’s call, thinking maybe he wasn’t truly meant for it. 

Aren’t we like Moses? The Lord seeks to encourage us when we don’t feel enough, reminding us that His grace is sufficient in our weakness. Yet sometimes, we insist that God use someone else instead of us.

Moses insisted that God send someone else.

I wonder how many of us have walked away from God’s calling because of our weaknesses. If everyone in the church allowed God to step into their insecurities, weaknesses, and sins, accepting the grace offered through Jesus, we might see a remarkable transformation.

“Moses’ story reminds us that even in our deepest insecurities, we are seen, known, and called by God.” Philippians 4:13: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ In Him, we are more than enough.”