Is Jesus Really enough?

Is Jesus enough for you? Really?

I've taught this lesson over and over - and now I've lived it over and over! I know how I feel about having only Jesus. Do you?

I once heard a lesson taught where the teacher gave examples of God's blessing because she had been spared an automobile accident. Truly, God intervened and spared her. Truly she was blessed.

But, I was in an automobile accident and my grandmother was killed. My godly, loving grandmother taken in a horrible car accident. But, I too came to understand that I was blessed. Not blessed because of the accident but blessed because of my precious Lord! He was and is enough! He got me through one of the most difficult times of my life.

John Piper teaches that Americans have taken a "prosperity mindset" even though they may not realize it. In effect, if we see ourselves as blessed because of the good things God does for us or because of what He gives us, then we have adopted a prosperity mindset. (Go to Youtube.... John Piper-Prosperity Gospel for a great 2 and a half minute message or view it on the right of this page.)

The goodness of God doesn't change if He doesn't answer a prayer as we ask. Or, it doesn't change if He chooses to take the life of a saint in a car accident. He is God! He is good! In fact, we have a greater sense of His nearness when we are in the midst of trials, when we have nowhere else to turn.

The faithfulness of God doesn't change if we don't "feel" Him close to us. He doesn't leave His children. His children get so focused on other things that we can't sense His nearness.

I receive lots of prayer requests and prayer responses from around the world. And I want to keep getting them so I know how to pray. I read blogs from all over. But, it troubles me when ...... actually, it breaks my heart when I read people praising God because of WHAT HE DOES and not because of WHO HE IS. Don't get me wrong, many people have mastered rewording and they can change the "does" to "is", but underneath is all they are focused on what God does! It seems we want to receive a list of prayer requests more than we want to receive a list of praises of God. We even "couch" our praise of God within answered prayer rather than just praising God without needing Him to do something to get our praise. It shouldn't be hard - but it is. We need to be praying for each other. But, why are we so "result-oriented"? Why does our prayer list have to be all about what God is doing FOR us or THROUGH us? Are we so prideful that we can't focus on what God is doing in us without talking about answered prayer?

What really tears me up is when I fall into the trap of needing to know God is "doing" something in my life through answered prayer or by Him allowing me to have a life without trial. I pray the Holy Spirit will never leave me in the position to see God this way. I pray He will always show me the reality and the centrality of the cross of Jesus in my faith and my life.

Is Jesus enough for me? Is He enough for you? Really? If He is, we'll be able to praise Him for who He is in this moment - whatever our circumstances.