WEBVTT - Never Enough

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<v Speaker 1>Good morning. This is Chris Witt's. Welcome. Morning devotions. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>a fan of the 2017 movie, The Greatest Showman, starring

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<v Speaker 1>Hugh Jackman. It was very popular, it was a huge

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<v Speaker 1>box office hit around the world, you might have seen

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<v Speaker 1>the film. A story about the American showman PT Barnum.

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<v Speaker 1>Who went on to create the Barnum and Bailey Circus

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<v Speaker 1>known as the greatest show on Earth. The songs in

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<v Speaker 1>the movie were really good, I thought, especially the power

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<v Speaker 1>ballad Never Enough, quite a sad and moving song about

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<v Speaker 1>the endless pursuit of success and fame. This song tells

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<v Speaker 1>us what we probably already know.

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<v Speaker 1>It's about external achievements, however spectacular and enjoyable, do not

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<v Speaker 1>really satisfy a person's deepest desires. Maybe uh PT Barnum

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<v Speaker 1>was like that, striving ever so hard for acceptance and success,

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<v Speaker 1>but couldn't quite get there.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm thinking about those two words, never enough this morning

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<v Speaker 1>and applying them to us in life. We strive for

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<v Speaker 1>happiness or even perfection, craving for more financial success, only

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<v Speaker 1>to find it's not enough, and we end up feeling

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<v Speaker 1>empty and wanting more. We tie our happiness to achievements,

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<v Speaker 1>and yes, when good things happen, we often experience an

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<v Speaker 1>initial burst of joy, but soon enough we lose interest,

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<v Speaker 1>we feel restless, and we start desiring the next thing.

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<v Speaker 1>And in today's fast-paced world, the desire for more is universal.

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<v Speaker 1>And then we sometimes feel, I'll never be enough. There's

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<v Speaker 1>too much going on against me at the moment. How

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<v Speaker 1>can I achieve anything worthwhile? And these thoughts can drag

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<v Speaker 1>you down. Why am I never enough? The mental health

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<v Speaker 1>experts say these feelings often come from childhood and early

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<v Speaker 1>experiences of life, which lead me to thinking, I'm not adequate.

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<v Speaker 1>Others are better than me. A child can feel anxious

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<v Speaker 1>and concludes there.

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<v Speaker 1>Be something wrong with me if I feel so bad,

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<v Speaker 1>and they live with this incorrect idea into adulthood. Some

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<v Speaker 1>are driven by this idea. I must do better to

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<v Speaker 1>prove that I'm not a failure. I must achieve the unachievable.

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<v Speaker 1>The nagging thought that says you're never enough is only

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<v Speaker 1>a thought. It's not a fact. Don't believe it. There

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<v Speaker 1>is a better way of looking at this. Instead of

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<v Speaker 1>saying I'm never enough, say.

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<v Speaker 1>I am a person of value in the eyes of

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<v Speaker 1>a loving God. You were created in the image of God.

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<v Speaker 1>You are God's handiwork. How risky to place our value

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<v Speaker 1>in someone else or what they say or think about us.

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<v Speaker 1>It can be a very soul destroying and crushing moment.

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<v Speaker 1>We should never place our identity in the hands of

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<v Speaker 1>imperfect people, including our loved ones. Our identity becomes shaken

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<v Speaker 1>when we place it in the hands of imperfect.

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<v Speaker 1>People, it's like being an experienced portrait artist who does

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<v Speaker 1>magnificent paintings, and they then ask someone walking along the street,

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<v Speaker 1>how much is this painting worth? Chances are they don't know,

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<v Speaker 1>so it's a pointless exercise. But when our identity is

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<v Speaker 1>in the hands of a loving and perfect God, nothing

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<v Speaker 1>can move us away. Nothing can shift that. Ephesians chapter

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<v Speaker 1>2 verse 10 in the Bible says, for we are God's.

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<v Speaker 1>Masterpiece. He has created us to belong to Christ Jesus,

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<v Speaker 1>so we can do the good things that he planned

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<v Speaker 1>for us long ago, and that's where we get our worth.

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<v Speaker 1>True peace and contentment come from knowing Jesus Christ, and

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<v Speaker 1>with Him in my life, I am more than enough.

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<v Speaker 1>My life can make sense. It can be coherent and

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<v Speaker 1>meaningful with the joy knowing that when I die, that's

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<v Speaker 1>not the end of the story. God has eternal life

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<v Speaker 1>for me after the grave. I don't have to despair

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<v Speaker 1>or think I'll never be enough despite my own shortcomings.

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<v Speaker 1>Actually, the Bible's got a lot of stories of great

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<v Speaker 1>people who were used by God in spite of their

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<v Speaker 1>own failings. Moses felt he wasn't good enough to be

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<v Speaker 1>a speaker. Gideon, he wasn't a good enough soldier. And Eve, well,

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<v Speaker 1>she wasn't a good enough wife or mother. But God

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<v Speaker 1>blessed their achievements in spite of their inadequacies to achieve

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<v Speaker 1>some life-changing events. It's quite amazing really to think that

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<v Speaker 1>God uses our weaknesses in such brilliant ways.

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<v Speaker 1>So be encouraged this morning. Don't live in the shadow

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<v Speaker 1>of low self-esteem. I like the old song that says,

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<v Speaker 1>walk tall, walk straight, and look the world right in

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<v Speaker 1>the eye. Your uniqueness is a divine gift from the

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<v Speaker 1>God who loves you. Embrace this knowledge and let it

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<v Speaker 1>provide the peace, the courage, and the strength you need

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<v Speaker 1>to face each day. Lord, I think of that song,

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<v Speaker 1>Never Enough, and I.

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<v Speaker 1>Wonder how many people are bowed down with despondency because

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<v Speaker 1>they feel they, they're never enough. They can't achieve enough

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<v Speaker 1>to attain to that goal they want. But dear Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>help them to look up to you, to recognise that

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<v Speaker 1>you provide all they need, both here and forever. Amen.