You Are Enough

Published: Sept. 21, 2022, midnight

b'I\\u2019m in my forties, and one thing I wish I\\u2019d known when I was a teenager is\\nthat it really is true when people say God loves us just as we are. We\\ndon\\u2019t have to earn His approval. In the book of Isaiah, God was speaking to\\nthe Israelites, but He is also speaking to us today through these same\\nwords. Isaiah 43:4 says that we are precious and honored in God\\u2019s sight,\\nand He loves us. Thankfully, God\\u2019s favor isn\\u2019t based on what we do. Since\\nthe first humans went their own way against God, we are all sinful. We can\\nnever be good enough. We can never do enough. We can never be perfect\\nenough. It\\u2019s just not possible. As humans, we are all flawed. But the\\nwonderful news is that we don\\u2019t have to be good enough\\u2026because Jesus is.\\nJesus lived in perfect obedience to God the Father. Because Jesus is fully\\nGod and fully human, and He never did wrong, He was able to pay for our\\nwrongdoing by dying on the cross and rising from the dead for us. The Bible\\nsays, \\u201cFor God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that\\nwhoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life\\u201d (John\\n3:16). The love God has for us is powerful! His love can move mountains,\\nheal broken hearts, and transform lives (Colossians 3:12). And His love for\\nus is \\u201cjust because\\u201d we are His! He longs to show us His love and be a part\\nof our lives\\u2014just as we are, right where we are. You may ask yourself, \\u201cBut\\nwhat about those little flaws and imperfections I have\\u2014not to mention all\\nthe big flaws? Don\\u2019t they change things?\\u201d The wonderful answer is NO! God\\nknows everything about you, and your sins and shortcomings do not diminish\\nHis love in any way! Romans 5:8 says, \\u201cBut God demonstrates his own love\\nfor us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.\\u201d Because\\nHis love is not based on what we do but on what Jesus has done, we can rest\\nin this assurance. \\u2981 Leslie L. McKee \\u2981 Have you ever questioned whether God\\nreally loves you? Lots of people feel this way\\u2014even people who have been\\nChristians for a long time. You can bring this to Jesus in prayer. He won\\u2019t\\nbe offended. You are God\\u2019s precious, beloved child, and He doesn\\u2019t give up\\non you. \\u2981 Have you put your trust in Jesus? Romans 10:9 says, \\u201cIf you\\ndeclare with your mouth, \\u2018Jesus is Lord,\\u2019 and believe in your heart that\\nGod raised him from the dead, you will be saved.\\u201d \\u201cSince you are precious\\nand honored in my sight, and because I love you\\u2026\\u201d Isaiah 43:4 (NIV)\\n\\xa0\\nRead Verses:\\nJohn.17.26|Rom.8.31-Rom.8.39|1John.4.19|Isa.43.4'