When I was around 12 years old, I fell in love with the music and artist Olivia Newton John.  I had all her albums, and I knew, not only the songs that hit the charts, but also the obscure songs no one really listened to.  One of the songs I enjoyed singing was “Never Enough”

Why must we want so much more than we have?
Will we never be satisfied?
Just look around
How can we feel so denied?

But it’s never enough, never never enough
Why is all that we have simply never enough?
No, it’s never enough, never never enough
It’s so sad
Is anything ever enough?

At 12 years old, I am sure my love for the song lacked depth of understanding and was more me pretending to be Olivia belting out the song.

At 50 years old, I understand.

The years go by and the unpredictability of life as well as choices you made are played out, and they create a story line with chapters and trilogies.

Imagine more than enough.

Honestly, the older you become the more you fall into the trap of comparison and envy. I know it’s wrong, causes stress, and hurts not only you, but those you love.

God, why does so-and-so seem to have it all together, and I can’t even keep up laundry?

God, how do they afford such luxuries?

God, why does their marriage, parenting, job seem so easy?

Imagine more than enough.

I’ve heard the Prodigal Son parable in Luke so many times I’ve lost count.  Countless sermons with different thoughts on the parable have touched my heart and brought wisdom.  Yesterday, in my devotional book, Simple Grace, the highlight was the Prodigal Son, and the title was “Imagine more than enough”.  

Our tendency to rush to judgment of others is understandable given your underestimation of your Father’s mercy and might. We question our worth.

The Holy Spirit brought to my heart “who” was in the audience when Jesus shared the parable–the Pharisee and Sadducee leaders.

They were angered that Jesus would offer spiritual blessings and love to all men and women. Spiritual privilege belonged to them based on their heritage, schooling, and Old Testament laws.  They suffered from understanding that Jesus was more than enough for all His children.  In some way, they represented the older son in the story who was angry that the father would welcome home the wayward child who squandered all his inheritance. Jesus said to them:

“Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.”

The religious leaders needed to embrace the love of Jesus not only for them, but share in the goodness of God for all mankind.

You are always with your Father and there is enough of His love for all of you…in fact, there is much more than enough….Thanks to His grace, you’re always enough and there is always much more than enough. Simple Grace, pg. 103

We are never to judge our place with Jesus by earthly standards such as position, power, material objects, our health, wealth, poverty, state of our marriage, success of our children, or the opinions of others.

He is more than enough, and because of His love, so are we.

Don’t make up stories to describe your life based on your comparisons, shame, or insecurities.  Step inside God’s story for you and know you are worth it!

I heard a sermon on comparison and envy by Ed Young.  He asked, “Do you think when you see Jesus face-to-face, that He is going to ask you if you lived your life being “John Doe” or “Susie”? No!  He will ask–“Did you live your life living out MY plan for YOU?” (paraphrased from Life’s Too Short to be Envious).

Be the YOU, God created YOU to be.

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10