Good Enough

“There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?” John 6:9

Have you ever felt like you’re not enough? Your talent is too small, you’re too ordinary, there’s nothing special about you, the task is too big, what good would you be able to do? In this story a huge crowd had gathered to hear Jesus preach. There were about 5,000 men, which means that, with the women and children, there were probably twice that many. It was getting to be about time for supper and Jesus asked his disciples to feed them. Talk about feeling inadequate! There was no way they had enough money to get food for all of those people. And where would they even get it if they did?

Andrew found one young boy with five loaves of bread and two fish. It wasn’t even close to being enough for everyone, but he was willing to share what he had. And in the hands of Jesus, the little bit that he had became a miracle. As the disciples started handing out the food, the baskets never ran out. They ended up feeding everyone with 12 baskets of food left over. Jesus tells us in John 6:35 that he is the bread of life. Through Him we are all fed and fully satisfied, without Him we go hungry.

What little bit do you have to share? Does it seem like it could never be enough? Do you not even know where to start? Hand it over. In the hands of the Lord, it will be just the right amount to bless whoever He has chosen for it to bless. It may feed one person, or it may feed 5,000. That part is up to him to decide. Your part is to be willing to share whatever you have. And when you do that, you will see that you are more than enough. You always have been.

“The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” John 6:63

Our human effort is meaningless until we open ourselves up to the Spirit and life that Jesus offers. Striving to do it all myself got me nowhere. How I wish I had learned sooner to stop holding on so tightly to what I thought I had, trying to multiply it myself and make something of it, so that I would be good enough and be accepted. I was always accepted, and I was always good enough, I just didn’t believe it. God is good, and God is enough. What really matters is our willingness to give the little that we have, and let Him multiply it and use it for his purpose and his glory.

In the book, Present Over Perfect, Shauna Niequist says this: And I am reveling in the smallness of my capacity. This is it. This is who I am. This is all I have to give you. It’s not a fire hose, unending gallons of water, knocking you over with force. It’s a stream: tiny, clear, cool. That’s what I have to give, and that small stream is mine to nuture, to tend…

So whether you have a fire hose or a tiny stream, tend it, nuture it, offer it up to Jesus to see who he wants to share it with. And then obey him and take it there. In your hands it will either dry up, or spray everywhere with no control or direction. Give it to Him and it becomes purposeful, meaningful, nourishing, and exactly what someone needs to be able to see Him and hear his voice.