Is God enough?

Someone once asked me where I go when I need inspiration. I told them I go all over the place. Usually it begins with a prayer and then God speaks to me through blogs, newspaper articles, other people and even my friends. I also subscribe to a couple of daily and weekly emails. For years I had a friend sending me regular "wisdom from grandparents." The truth is that inspiration is all around us. We just need to open our eyes and be ready to receive it.

Last week I received an email from Zondervan Daily. It is a meditation that comes from the book publisher. I signed up for it last winter when I went to a conference in California. They always give you something to think about. Today's was especially meaningful in light of all the economic worries people seem to have. So I thought I would steal it and pass it along.

It is from John Burke's book, Soul Revolution: "How Imperfect People Become All God Intended." So enjoy.

"Of course you're enough, Lord," I'd answer intellectually. "Haven't I given my life to serve you? Didn't I prove I'd leave it all to follow you?" But when the deep struggle for peace and joy wouldn't let up, I had to admit the heartfelt truth: "No, Lord, right now you're not enough. I'm not at peace being faithful to simply love you and my family and enjoy using my gifts to serve you. I need things to go my way ... according to my plans ... that's the truth." That's why I was struggling. My hurt and frustration with God, my lack of joy and peace betrayed the truth. God was not enough. Faithfulness was not enough. I needed God plus — God plus things going as I planned. I wasn't okay with God being God in my life if he didn't do what I thought he should. I wasn't okay with simply being faithful to live in his will each day.

I spent the summer wrestling to surrender, letting go of playing God and learning to follow ... again. The sad thing is, I thought I'd already learned this lesson, but now I see that life with Christ is not so much a one-time decision to trust (though there is a first decision of faith), but more like a series of daily decisions to trust."