More than Good Enough - we are GOOD

Sometimes a song's lyrics will just speak to me almost as deeply as scripture does. One such song is entitled "Good Enough" by Dara Maclean on the album "Wanted". Almost all of us desire to be "wanted" by someone. We seek that attachment - that connection to another individual. We go through life pursuing what we think will make us a "wanted" friend, wife, husband, employee, etc. To many of us, this equates to a pursuit of being "good enough" - we don't believe we will be "wanted" until we are somehow "good enough" in one way or another. We change our appearance, develop our talents, learn a new skill, etc., all in pursuit of being "good enough". My question is, "When is good enough really good enough?"

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. (Genesis 1:27,31 ESV)

Good enough is elusive - an ever-changing definition, meaning one thing to one person and another to the other person. The meaning can even change based on the circumstances, resources available, and the effort one can "afford" to put forth to accomplishing whatever is needing to be done. Since this is a moving target, it hard to define "good enough". Maybe I will let the words of this song speak to us today. It begins with the words I think many of us would say if we were honest with each other about how it is we feel a great deal of the time:

I got to keep my head up one more day and get by; look perfect on the outside, but I’m dying on the inside. I could work so hard, slave the day away,  but end up broke tryin’ to find my place in my attempt to prove I’m worthy, but it’s already done.

Chorus: So I won’t spend my whole life paying my own price; tryin’ to be good enough. I’m gonna just let You love me. Finally see me the way You see. I’m believing Your grace is enough for me.

It is so like us to live our whole lives in search of some "good enough" point. We work so hard, but get very little forward progress because the mark is always changing. If we could only see ourselves as God sees us, stop trying to live up to some "moving target" either we set for ourselves or allow another set for us. We might just begin to rest a little more, trust a little deeper, and live with a contentment that isn't performance based, but grace based.

Thank God I don’t have to hold on with my own strength. I’m not the one who saved me, so I’m trusting You completely, ‘cause the best in me is only You. I run out, but You come through. Now I’m never looking back, You don’t see the past, all You see is I’m forgiven.

All he sees in us isn't because we "measure up" by our doing, getting, or striving. All he sees in us is by the gift he provides - the supreme gift of grace which mends every broken part, replaces all the damaged places, and creates anew what our misdeeds have worn beyond fixing.

If You said it, I believe it. If You did it, it’s completed. Ooh, I was hurting, You were healer. I was broken, You’re redeemer. So I won’t spend my whole life paying my own price, tryin’ to be good enough.

Good enough costs us - there is more "spent" on trying than we might realize. Rather than trying, maybe it is time we trust that God has already declared us "good" and that is better than "good enough" anyday! Just sayin!