“You are enough” is a catch phrase of this cultural moment. It is a response to the epidemic of unfair comparisons and unrealistic expectations. It is frustrating, to say the least, to feel like a failure. But is a cliché ego boost the remedy?
Do you understand “finitude,” i.e., the limitations and finiteness of the human condition? You can “be all you can be” but not more. You are created with boundaries – of time, space, strength, and ability. That suggests human finitude is a gift from the Creator, not a deficiency; a feature, not a flaw.
A disordered view of human capacity manifests itself in overscheduled children who must be good at everything. It promotes dehumanizing practices in the workplace. It contributes to burnout in relationships, reduction in church involvement, and a defeated view of life. There is nothing wrong with taking delight in productivity. But you are wise to know when planning, resilience, and hard work have done all they can. Does your lifestyle suggest you are in denial of your finitude?
The Adam and Eve story in the Bible reveals the human struggle with over grasp, which plagues us to this day. The serpent told Eve to eat the fruit so that “your eyes will be opened and you will be like God” (Gen. 3:5). What tempted her was the promise that she could know and be more than her human finitude would allow. Was she thinking, “I am enough” as she reached for equality with God?
Former Senator Ben Sasse is living with a brutal reminder of human limitations. He spoke about his cancer with Ross Douthat on the “Interesting Times” podcast. He said, “Things are not right in my soul. My soul thinks Ben should be God, and I want that to die … Cancer is a stake against my delusional self-idolatry.” He spoke of the hubris of self-reliance and added, “I now, in the midst of this disease, know much more the truth of my finitude than I ever let myself believe in the past.”
So, how do you understand and embrace your finitude without the searing focus of terminal cancer? What is the remedy for unrealistic expectations? The contented believer says, “You are God and I am not.” You rejoice knowing “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him” (2 Pet. 1:3). Pride carries you beyond the limits of your ability. Faith says, “Apart from you I can do nothing” (John 15:5).
God created you to learn, achieve, and produce. Resilience and wisdom are quality traits. But so are patience, peace, and faithfulness. Embrace your finitude by trusting God to complete you with everything pertaining to life and godliness. He is enough.