A common source of anxiety is feeling like we’re not enough.
Every age and stage of life seems to be an opportunity to wrestle with our not-enoughness. Babies, of course, are utterly dependent on others and not-enough to survive alone. As young children we’re not-enough to wisely care for ourselves. All through high school our hearts ache as we struggle to understand ourselves and others, not-enough yet. In our 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s we go through stage after stage of not-enough: money, recognition, ambitions and frustrations, wisdom for parenting well, loneliness, maturity and self-control. In our 50’s and 60’s we start to add physical not-enoughness again, and especially time. Not-enoughness will be a wrestling partner throughout the rest of our lives, too.
Not all of this not-enoughness is a result of the Fall, but sin makes it far worse (sin makes everything worse). Not-enoughness is an element of life meant to pull us together, a universal centripetal force. Not-enoughness propels us forward, too, because the status quo remains uncomfortable. Not-enoughness forces us to confront our pride, arrogance, and complacency. We as individuals are never enough. I wrote in my little pocket notebook the other day, “Thank you God for my not-enoughness.” The wrestling won’t end but I can understand it as a good thing.
