“Is that enough?”
UG! Talk about a loaded question!! It doesn’t matter if we are talking about a delectable piece of dessert, our end-of-month cash flow amount, the groceries in our shopping cart or our worth/value as a person.
More often than not, even if our mouths answer yes, our heads answer no.
It’s a hard (and yucky) truth, but as consumers, Americans and HUMANS we are a greedy, selfish bunch of folks.
Sigh. Why can’t we be satisfied?
Notice I said WE. Yeah, WE, as in ME, have this problem too– We always want more, bigger, better. But WHY??
Too often, we are trying to find life and contentment in STUFF. Overspending is the norm in our culture. The more you have, the happier you will be, right?
Uh, yeah. Negative.
In this week’s chapter of “Calm My Anxious Heart,” Linda Dillow makes a lot of profound (and difficult) points on this topic of never being satisfied or trying to find our worth or value in things of this world, specifically money.
She says that “Happiness is getting what we want; contentment is wanting what we get.”
Touche, sister!
Also, did you know that Scripture contains more references to money than to salvation? And 16 of Jesus’ 39 parables deal with the issue of wealth!
Apparently this has been an issue for a hot minute or so. And it is something we STILL battle.
I know, I know, this whole “not living for the world but finding our contentment in Christ” is great in theory, but seriously, how can we make it happen?
Here are some practical tips that we (as in, my husband and I) have started the slow process of embrace the FACT (yes, FACT) that Jesus is enough for us. (Don’t get me wrong– we still have a looonnngggg way to go. God sure knows it!)
1. Last Christmas, instead of purchasing gifts for our family, we made a donation to a cause or fund that would speak to their heart in the name of Jesus.
2. This summer, we ate only 7 foods for 30 days. (Longest 30 days of our life… but honey, you better believe it changed our hearts!)
3. In addition to our tithe, we have answered the call of doing Factor of 7, a random act of kindness/generosity movement as a part of this ministry.
Finding your ENOUGH is probably going to look a little different. Is it hard? Uh, yeah– kind of a lot. Is it worth it? Absolutely!
Here’s some “heart” Scriptures that we can chew on today as we seek our ENOUGH in Christ:
“What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” ~Mark 8:36
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'” ~Hebrews 13:5
“The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” ~1 John 2:17
Do you struggle with your “enough?” What parts are most challenging for you? What would living a life of ENOUGH in Christ look like? I would love your feedback (um, and encouragement– because I struggle with this too!! Iron sharpens iron, my friends…) Comment below.
Before we can deal with the money-in-our-pocket (or lack thereof) issue or the abundance of stuff in our house, we must first embrace this as a heart issue. God has already promised us abundant life in Christ Jesus. And that life is more valuable than any car or house or amount that we can charge on our Visa card.
As we continue to seek contentment in Christ, perhaps someday we will confidently be able to respond to that loaded question of “Is that enough?” with “Yep. I’ve got Jesus. That’s all I need… And He’s ENOUGH!”
Content in Christ,
SGK
“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 4:19
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If you are “officially” doing the online Bible study with us, here is the homework for the upcoming week:
Day 1: Question 1, Memorize and meditate on Ephesians 5: 15 – 17, Question 2
Day 2: Questions 3, 4
Day 3: Question 5
Day 4: Question 6, 7
***Extra***
Word Study: Ephesians 5: 15 – 17
Live
“Making the most of every opportunity” or “redeeming the time”
understand
will
