Blog entry:
Sherry Engel
A few weeks ago, I looked over the schedule of bloggers, when I realized that I was scheduled to write the blog entry for the Easter Sunday sermon. My mind immediately went to, Oh No! I’m not good enough. Really!!!!…. how could I write about the most important message of all time?!?
Rewind my life about 20 years and I recall a similar thought pattern. Jesus doesn’t want me. I’m not good enough. I try to be a good person, but I’ll never be the “perfect Christian”. I can’t stand hypocrites, so how could I profess to be a Christian but still make the mistakes I make. I can’t be baptized, committing to Jesus, because there’s no way I’ll live up to those standards.
Thankfully, I wasn’t left to hang out in this misery. It was like a brick hit me over the head and helped me to see, “THAT’S THE POINT….. I’M NOT GOOD ENOUGH! If I was good enough, I wouldn’t need a savior. If I was good enough, I wouldn’t need anyone to help me navigate life. I can’t live the perfect life, only He did. I need Jesus and He loves me even with all of my imperfections.
In fact all of my failed attempts at perfection, to be good enough, have only made me more desperate for a savior. Someone perfect who will win despite all of my fears and failures. Having that kind of savior in my life is the kind of good news I want to hold onto each day.
So while I continue to struggle with the sinful battle of trying to be “good enough”, trying to control my life, I now know I have a savior that will guide and help me along the way.
Pastor Nate’s sermon articulated it well, I have a savior that…
- died so that I would have the assurance that He is King and is in control and that I have nothing to worry about
- allows me to set aside my false saviors including myself
- over powers death and gives me eternal life
- gives me a new life filled with the overwhelming power of the spirit of Jesus Christ living within me
So while I’m not good enough, I am loved enough. Enough that Jesus died and the Father brought Him back to life for me, to guide me to become more and more like Him. I bank my hope on this, and one day, because of His gift, I will be perfect, just like Him!