Am I Enough?
My 5 week old daughter, Elsie, can’t do anything for herself. She can’t feed herself, clean herself, clothe herself or anything. She can’t contribute to the family. All she can do is feel and receive. She has me thinking a lot on how the Father loves us and on what it means to be enough.
She’s valued just because she is,
and not for anything she can contribute.
As adults, many times we think our contributions make us valuable. And this is how the world treats us, value for value. We are qualified as valuable based on our contributions in our fields of expertise, our jobs, relationships, educational systems, and multiple other areas. Since society assigns us value based on the contributions it receives, and when our contributions are not received, it may ignite or re-enforce the belief that our worth is diminishing. Unfortunately, in the world, you are judged by what you are able to give.
“You are valuable because you exist.
Not because of what you do, or what you have done,
but simply because you are” ― Max Lucado
Peter had to learn this Kingdom lesson, in John 13, of what it really means to be valuable. Jesus wanted to serve Peter by washing his feet. Peter resisted. Jesus told him, “Unless I wash you, you’ll have no part with me.”
Jesus said, in a sense,
“Peter, you can’t be a part of what I’m doing
unless you let me serve you.”
Peter had to learn to receive and embrace being valued because he was valuable, not just because of his ability to contribute. Sometimes we try to validate ourselves by giving to others or by preventing others from giving to us. Perhaps, there are times when it is more difficult to receive than it is to give. Peter had to become humble, like a child, like Elsie.