His Grace is Enough

Posted on September 10 2008

If you are like me, you recently finished watching the Olympics and are inspired to learn how to flip on the uneven bars or take up swimming and running. You might also feel like you need a new car or credit card to complete your life. Or maybe just a chicken sandwich. Every time we turn on our television or listen to our radios or pick up a magazine, there seems to be someone telling us we’re not quite good enough yet. But they always have something that will get us there, don’t they?

As a mass communications major, I’ve spent some time studying and understanding the ideas behind advertising and marketing. The goal of commercials is to convince you, the consumer, that you need this product, that your life is not quite complete without it. Sometimes you do, but many times we just want it. Why do we want it though? And why are so many of us risking our financial stability to get it? Will that new car really make us a better person? Will those shoes really get us running for our health more? Or could the shoes I already own do the job sufficiently? What are we really working towards? There is never an end in our culture to the ways we can be better. We are told we’re one diet away or three weeks from a successful, happy life. But God doesn’t tell us that. No, when Paul is struggling with an issue and feels he is not adequate, God comes along and says, “My grace is sufficient for you.” (See 2 Corinthians 12:9). As the children of God, we must know that our heavenly Father is taking care of our needs. Maybe we’re not getting what we want, but we are getting what we need. It’s easy to become discontent and disappointed in what we have if we’re focused on what we don’t.

This path towards discontentment and disappointment is dangerous. It can begin to sow seeds of bitterness in our hearts. Suddenly, friends we’ve loved dearly are enemies when they get the new car we wanted. Our coworkers become competition as we struggle for the higher positions in our company. And our family becomes a burden when we have to provide for them before getting whatever it is we feel we deserve or need. What does all of this stuff mean anyway when we know our treasures are stored in heaven? Next time you turn that TV on, be aware of whether the commercials are simply entertaining or are they enticing you to covet things beyond what God has intended for you. Because remember, our greatest need was to be saved from eternal separation from God, and He took care of that need on the cross. Just as He provides for the lilies of the valley and the birds of the air, He will provide for His dearly beloved children.

Cassandra Ward FLCS Staff