Take my not enough and turn it into more than enough.
I can’t remember when God gave me this phrase but I’ve been praying it from the heart fairly consistently for about a year now. I know I’m a child of God. I know I’m a loved daughter of the King. I know He has created me with gifts and talents and certain passions and purposes to fulfill on this earth. And I know, in my own strength, I will always be lacking. Lacking enough time. Lacking enough resources. Lacking the right connections and divine appointments. Lacking in knowledge. Lacking in strength.
That’s when I started asking God in heartfelt prayers to take my “not enough” and supernaturally turn it into “more than enough.” I knew for me, saying those words was my way of surrendering my will, my plans, and my desires to fully embracing His plan and His desires, all in His timing.
I wanted to do it His way and that meant living out biblical principles as well as living out my trust in Him to provide “more than enough” when I do life His way.
I shared a few weeks ago about how I come from a lineage of hard workers, having learned the adage of “work first, play later.” That lesson isn’t always practical in today’s society where the work never seems to be finished. There’s always one more thing to do despite the hour on the clock. That mentality has led to seasons in my life of depletion, exhaustion, and health issues due to lack of listening to biblical truths and wanting to “finish the work so I can play.”
I decided to put feet to my words and see what God would do. I decided to trust the biblical promise found in Philippians 4:19 (NIV), which states “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” That verse said to me, “Cheri, if you work diligently at the jobs God has blessed you with, without running yourself ragged (meaning starting and stopping at decent hours and putting in enough hours during the week but not more than is sustainable long term) at the end of the month, He will supply the paycheck that will take care of the needs of your family. The majority of my work is paid hourly, so if I don’t work, I don’t get paid which is where the temptation to work harder, until it’s all finished clashed with the biblical principle of working as though working for God instead of running yourself ragged came in.
I chose to do that. I still got up at the same time every day (early!) and after starting with time with God, worked until everyone was home at night. I would still regularly work one night a week, but would try and spend time with the family the other nights, either reading review books or doing creative work (both of which are more relaxing and less like work).
And sure enough … at the end of the month, I’m amazed at how God has been providing for what our family needs. And our God isn’t a God of not enough or barely enough. He is definitely the God of more than enough! He provided the money our family needed to take a vacation this past spring. One that was desperately needed and so appreciated. It filled us up and will carry us through a busy summer. It gave us memories that will last a lifetime.
What area in your life do you feel “not enough?” Are you willing to give it over to God and ask Him to make it “more than enough?”
Are you ready to start that conversation with Him today?
© Cheri Swalwell 2021