How can Christ be enough?

Growing up in church, I always wondered what people meant when they said that Christ was enough, that He was all they needed. How can this be, when we need food, oxygen, water, sleep, money, clothes, shelter? Love? What if I don’t have one or more of these things?

The challenge for me lately in settling in here has been trying not to pull my hair out while I wait for all the annoying banking/financial things to take care of themselves. and on top of that feeling vaguely disoriented all the time because I don’t quite have a routine.

I cannot make my check clear in my bank account. And I cannot settle into a routine if I’ve only been here less than a month! These things simply take time.

Today I had to just lean into Jesus, because I have no control.

When we talk about the story of Jesus calming the storm in Matthew 8, we always focus on how marvelous it was that He calmed the storm. Imagine that, changing the weather! What Irish people wouldn’t give for a little bit of that power for themselves.

But many times we focus on this because we wish for our suffering to end, whether it’s waiting for a check to clear or something bigger and more painful. But every religion in the world can give you ideas for how to escape suffering.

The thing that makes Jesus Christ different from every other religion in the world is that He actually entered into suffering, He chose it because of His love for us. And His suffering was far greater than any of us will ever encounter in our lives.

What stands out to me in this story is that Jesus was sleeping, in the midst of a storm! Jesus was tranquil, unaffected by what was raging around Him. He knew He was safe, despite what his circumstances would have told Him. He knew He was safe because He was in the Father’s love, and that is the safest place to be.

I pondered the love of Jesus this morning, and how I’ve actually found that it is indeed enough.

The love of Jesus has the power to transform even the bleakest of circumstances into a situation where I can feel whole, where I can feel safe. I may have many practical needs and a list of prayer requests, but I find myself wanting nothing when His love pervades my soul.

He may not always calm the storm or lift the heavy curtain of rain, or make my check clear faster in the bank, but within that I can remain as tranquil as Jesus was when He was asleep in a storm.

The love of Jesus transcends beyond this present moment and plunges deep, very deep into my soul.