I’m a Mess, But He is Enough.

I’m sitting here in Florida at our Winter staff meetings with PPM. Our Belize Country Coordinator told a story of a friend who was giving a devotional at a men’s meeting and ended up simply saying these three words: “I’m a mess.”

And then he listed things he was thankful for.

I immediately found myself nodding along with him as I listened to his talk and that phrase became concrete in my heart, with the weight of its truth.

I’m a mess

I am a mess of a woman.

I find myself sometimes in the midst of day to day life, becoming complacent, apathetic to my lukewarm tendencies.

I can swing wildly across a varied scale of emotions.

I don’t bridle my tongue as much as I should in private.

I see with great clarity my sins and yet fall back into them time and time again.

But I”m always trying to better those things about myself. (and often failing, haha!)

We’re a mess

One thing I love about getting together for our PPM meetings is sharing stories of how Christ moved during the last year. From South Africa to Tucson, it’s amazing how the Lord works through those who let Him. But what caught my attention even more this past week was the stories that sounded a lot like this blog post, “I was a mess, but Christ was enough for the trip.”

“He showed up despite my lack of planning.”

“So much was going on back home and my focus was off that week, but Christ was there to work out the kinks.”

“Everything went wrong it seemed, but Christ used the entire week to His glory. The Pastor told me the community has never seen such love displayed physically for them by a mission team.”

“I’ll be honest, my attitude wasn’t the best that week, but the group voted to maintain long-term partnership in the community.”

And we all agreed, Christ grew us during those times of struggle. He never wavered, He was there, teaching us, even if we couldn’t see it.

Praise the Lord for His goodness. 

He is Enough

So that’s the truth. The truth that is:

Christ wants you. He wants you, mess and all.

Because He is enough to make you clean.

He wants your broken heart.

He wants your tired eyes, calloused hands and heavy soul.

He wants you with your confusing pain of a child lost too young.

The man overwhelmed with pressure from his job.

He is far bigger than it all.

Far bigger than your bad attitude, your resentment, your apathy and frustration.

Far bigger than your sin, failures and mess.

He can bring you out it all.

He can offer light to the darkest places in your heart and mind.

Allow Him the avenue, he can use you in your brokenness for His glory.

Today I’m thankful that Christ is bigger than my mess. That time and time again, when I approach his throne in repentance, He covers me with grace and extends pardon to the mess of woman in front of him. He, the creator of the galaxies near and far, looks upon me, sees my failure… and yet pursues me in love.

It’s in the moment when I feel Christ searching my heart and my shame threatens to choke me, that I remember the Gospel. The Gospel of Christ and how He came and died for the world. For me. Be still my heart.

Can we all just rest in that hope today, on this Monday morning?

Thank you Father for that hope. For Your love. For the Gospel. That You’re enough. 

-Bethany