Jesus is Enough
“That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.” (2 Timothy 1:12 NIV)
I was working on a stepladder the other week, being careful not to fall off, and was mindlessly singing along to a beautiful praise song. I suddenly stopped in my tracks, realizing that I wasn’t fully taking into consideration the weight of the words in the song. Did I really mean what I was singing? I was instantly touched and deeply challenged by the lyrics:
“Oh what grace I’ve found in You my Jesus
That my soul should entertain Your greatness
Should this life hold nothing but my Saviour
I will praise You – Always”
(What a Saviour, Hillsong Music)
Did I really mean those words? Is my Jesus enough? Ultimately, the question perhaps should be: Is my relationship with Jesus in such a place that if He was truly all I had today, would I still stand and sing those powerful words?
We’re currently in one of the most turbulent times I can remember as a nation. Looking around the globe, we are not unique. I guess the question I have found myself asking is whether I am going to let my heart be drawn into a place of worry and fear over all of this instability, or rather quiet my soul and calmly proclaim, “Jesus is enough.”
In December last year I had the privilege of being in Cambodia with a team of people. Part of our time was spent in a village located just outside the capital city of Phnom Penh. We spent an afternoon visiting local people and sharing a glimpse into their lives. I cannot begin to capture the life circumstances that some of these dear ones face every single day of their lives. Their struggle is a daily one against a backdrop of abject poverty. They have few opportunities to change the direction of their lives. Those who are ‘lucky’ enough may find work in a nearby garment factory where they are poorly paid and conditions are tough. And yet, even in these bleakest of circumstances, many declare the lordship of Christ and find hope in Him.
I don’t know what twists and turns may come in my life journey or yours. But one thing I do know is the only way to travel with a joyful peace is to settle in my heart the answer to this question once and for all. So, today, I remind myself that I must declare ‘Jesus is enough’, perhaps even before I know how this declaration will be tested.
Steve Norman – Country Director, Ratanak International UK
Steve, a retired Police Officer, chanced upon an article in April 2008 about a girl sold into prostitution in Cambodia at the age of 13. The next day he bought the book and read it through that night into the early hours. It was through this experience that God broke his heart and placed therein a deep compassion for the children of this land. The overwhelming desire to engage in this issue was impressed on him, and he began a journey that would eventually lead him to establish Ratanak in the UK. He is a committed Christian and has been married to Karen for 29 years. They have three children aged 27, 26 and 6, and they also have a 3 grandchildren! Steve and Karen live in rural North Yorkshire and are members of Influence Church, Richmond.