10 Verses to Remind You God Is Enough

Now, my ignorance is no surprise – there’s always something to learn. But for the longest time, I had no idea what this phrase meant.

God is enough – sounds legitimate. Sounds like one of those statements you can’t refute without receiving silent stares and quiet condemnations. Yet, I was also perplexed by some of these same people who would say that longing for a spouse was normal, as was wanting a new job, or simply wanting more from life in general. And those wants and desires weren't just natural, they were good.

Well, that’s interesting – longing was okay, and God was enough?

If wanting is natural and good, then how can God also be enough?

What Does “God Is Enough” Mean?

This week I came to an understanding of what the statement means, or at least, what I think people mean when they say God is enough. The issue is that they make the statement without finishing the complete thought – God is enough for us to be content.

Contentment is defined by a state of being satisfied, pleased with the present day or circumstances. Paul helps us understand this through his own testimony (Philippians 4:11-13). We may want, but we don’t need.

Thus, while we may always want something no matter where we are in life, job or retirement, spouse or children, maturing or deliverance, we can find peace where we are in the moment.

We should all feel comforted knowing that no matter what we’re going through, God is enough. Now, if you’re like me, contentment sounds good but doesn’t come easy. If anything, discontentment is the natural place to be.

However, much like Paul learned his lesson, we can learn ours too. Thankfully, we have his experiences along with many others outlined in Scripture. Each one serves to remind us of the truth. Here are ten verses to remind you God is enough:

10 Verses to Remind You God Is Enough

“You will keep the mind that is dependent on you in perfect peace, for it is trusting in you.” (Isaiah 26:3)

The only way to find contentment is perspective, having the right perspective of God throughout any and all situations. We may say to ourselves God is enough for us to be content, but do we really believe? Scripture, coupled with experience, helps us solidify the right perspective.

“Keep your life free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

One way we are tempted to satisfy our longings is through money. The more money we have, the happier we’ll be, the safer, the more attractive, etc. If our focus is on accumulating money, then we do so to the detriment of accumulating faith. The truth is that God will take care of us more than money ever will.

We have to work for money, but not for God’s love. That’s why a life lived for money is not a life worth living.

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

Constantly striving to actualize our longings is but one symptom of discontentment. What we come to eventually realize is that we can’t carry every burden on our own. We need God. This promise of rest comes once we accept that we aren’t, but He is enough.

“I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself. I know how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11-13)

Paul helps us understand why we can find contentment in God, He strengthens us through our faith. Paul did not have the Old and New Testaments as we do, nor a life with the modern-day conveniences and technologies we enjoy. If our quality of life is so much better, why are we so less content?

“He then told them, ‘Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.’” (Luke 12:15)

If we define ourselves by money, relationships, and work, and not by God, then when the former passes away, so will our identity. God does not change, so when He promises contentment for those who seek Him, we can rest assured that all these years later, the truth remains. God is enough for us to be content. The same is not true for money, relationships, and work.

“Consider the ravens: They don’t sow or reap; they don’t have a storeroom or a barn; yet God feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than the birds?” (Luke 12:24)

One reason we doubt God is enough for our contentment is not believing in the love He has for each of us. However, Scripture makes clear that God has given us authority over the land, animals, and sea, and He made us, out of all His creations, in His image. In the New Testament we read that Jesus died for us. How much evidence do we need to believe?

“Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)

Where we give most of our attention is where we put the most effort. Thus, realizing God is enough for us to be content requires us to ensure a perspective focused on Him.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5)

In our pride, too often do we believe ourselves to have all the answers. Consequently, in our pride, we find ourselves discontent. By trusting in God, we can find that peace He promises.

“This is the day the Lord has made; let’s rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)

This simple but important reminder helps us understand that no day is guaranteed, and no day is guaranteed to be like the next. One day our loved ones are alive, the next they’re gone. One day we’re prosperous and overjoyed, the next we lament in isolation. Our lives go through various seasons, but what doesn’t change is God. He is enough for each of us to be content.

“Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s consent. But even the hairs of your head have all been counted. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:29-31)

God has planned out our lives more than we’ll ever truly know, yet given us free will more than we’ll ever know. As we live life alternating between the two - God’s will and our own - we can rest easy knowing He’s looking out for us, more than His other creations. Scripture tells us over and over again not to be afraid. Now we know why God is enough for us to be content.

A Peaceful Conclusion

There’s a certain peace we feel when finding contentment in God, a perfect peace, in fact. That’s God’s promise to those who keep their minds fixed on Him. Too often, we stray and find ourselves running into trouble. In the end, I suppose that’s what we can expect from our flawed human nature. However, being redeemed by His blood, we can also return back to God, recognizing the error of our ways, repenting, and choosing to follow again. And if we mess up, we repeat the process. We repeat, striving for our faith to be perfected.

We can’t silence our longings, but we can manage them by keeping the right perspective of God and by remembering, that He is enough.

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Sinenkiy 

Aaron D'Anthony Brown is a freelance writer, hip-hop dance teacher, and visual artist, living in Virginia. He currently contributes work to iBelieve, Crosswalk, and supports various clients through the platform Upwork. He's an outside-the-box thinker with a penchant for challenging the status quo. Check out his short story “Serenity.”