Believe That You Are Enough

Matthew 3:13-17

I had no idea I could sing until I was a sophomore in high school, and looking back now as someone with classical training and degrees in music, I think that is pretty wild. I grew up in a small town and there was not as much emphasis on music training for young kids back then, but I have since learned that there is so much benefit to introducing children to music early!

There is a lot of misconception people have about singing, thinking that it is some talent that only certain people have. But singing is not a fixed talent. And I would go further to say that, actually, everyone can sing.

But so many of us go around, convinced that we are tone deaf—even when only between 2%-5% of people in the world are actually tone deaf. (The scientific term is amusia.) We become convinced that singing is an ability we either have or dont have, rather than it being a natural part of being human and existing on a spectrum of style and ability.

I still remember a wise saying from the president of High Point University, Dr. Nido Qubein, when I was a student. “You can do anything, but you can’t do everything.” And I find that comforting and exciting. But I also find that too few people believe this to be true.

Too few people believe that they are enough. Or they might perceive their failing in one thing to mean that they are a failure in all things. It’s pretty astonishing how hard we are on ourselves, but perhaps not surprising given just how aggressive advertising and marketing can be to point out all of the ways our lives aren’t enough unless we buy whatever the thing is being sold to us.

God has made all of us to be enough. Whether or not we can do a specific thing well in a given moment. Whether we feel more afraid than courageous. Whether we have a ton of resources or few. Whether we feel smart or simple. None of that changes a fundamental fact we believe as Christians: we are enough. Enough to be loved, enough to be valued, enough to deserve dignity.

John the Baptist was an incredibly popular figure in the time of Jesus. He was a prophet who criticized the evil he perceived people in authority were doing. He proclaimed the coming of a messiah. He was sought after across Judea for baptisms. And despite his massive fame and his experience in baptizing so many, when he finally met Jesus who immediately requested also to be baptized like everyone else, John choked.

“I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” (Matthew 3:14 NRSVUE)

I wonder how much in our lives we have missed out on, not because of timing, or because of circumstance, but simply because we did not have a belief in ourselves that we are enough. I want to encourage you today, not that anyone can be the best at absolutely everything. Not everyone is a singing prodigy. Not everyone can be President of the United States.

But everyone has the ability to be enough. God has made all of us to be enough. Enough to be worthy of dignity. Enough to raise our voice on behalf of someone in need. Enough to represent Christ in the world if you profess to be Christian. Enough to consider yourself worthy of love.

With so much in the world trying to convince us otherwise (mostly to sell us something) this fundamental truth gives me hope: God has made you to be enough.