Not Enough

Last night our Atlanta Falcons played such a terrific game that I sat there and thought, this is a really good team. And then we came up short in two crucial situations that could have won the game but we did not. They were good, but just not good enough.

I can think back on many times in my life, as you might also, when what I did was just not enough but required every ounce of energy I had to be in that moment. In a world where we tend to define success by wins and losses, it's easy to get down when we lose, whether it's us or one of our family, friends or our favorite team. 

However, it is in the midst of adversity, in those succeeding moments after losses that our faith is forged. So many biblical examples are there for us to read, but one of my favorites is in Acts, Chapter 14. Paul healed a man who was crippled, was hailed as a God, then criticized by the opposition, and eventually stoned to the point where they left him for dead. From winning to losing very quickly.

And then we see the true heart of a champion and his teammates: But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. Not only did he rebound from the loss, he went right back into the place he was not enough in the public's eyes and went back to the work he was called to do. 

It stings, it hurts, but coming up short, feeling not enough is that critical valley where God increases his grace to us as a bridge to victory: For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7.

Not enough in this world is more than enough in God's eyes because it is then that we tend to rely more on him and use the power he gives us to go back at it again.

Like Paul, we need to Rise Up, and God will show us how to win in those critical situations of life!

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