Joshua 16-18 | Luke 2:1-24

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

Do we have enough? Enough time, enough energy, enough resources, enough money or do we need more? The Cambridge Dictionary defines “enough” as “as much as is necessary; in the amount or to the degree needed.” We live in a culture that spends millions of dollars in marketing agencies and advertising firms to position their products to convince us that if we just buy their product, life will be so much better.

In a 2010 movie entitled “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,” there is a scene where two successful traders in Wall Street were talking to each other. The younger one asked the older one, “What’s your number?…the amount of money you need to just walk away from it and live…” The older one took a moment and answered, “More.” Although the older one was already a multi-millionaire, there was no amount that would satisfy him; he just wanted more. This scene perfectly captures so much of our western mindset and our cultural belief that more will make us happier.

Deep in the human condition is a longing for more. We could trace this desire all the way back to Genesis. After God created Adam, God told him, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die” (Genesis 3:16-17). God gave the first humans everything and placed boundaries around one thing, but what was the one thing that humanity wanted? The one thing that God placed a boundary around.

Perhaps what God was trying to teach His people was what the Apostle Paul eventually learned in Philippians 4:11-13: “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.”

We may believe that God is our Provider but feel like we do not have enough money, enough resources, enough energy or enough time. We may feel like God is holding out and not taking care of us. Yet, the hard truth is: if we are struggling with enough, it is actually a struggle with God Himself.

Where are we today? Are we struggling with the endless hunger for “more?” Or are we gloriously content with what God has given us?

PRAYER

Sovereign God, I confess to You my hidden desire for wanting more and never being satisfied. Teach me how to live with contentment as You have provided me with everything I need. Thank You, Lord.