Is “Just Enough” Enough?

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We have decided, my husband and I, to downsize and simplify our lives. We are determined to live with less and to have more time to enjoy this life that has been given to us. We are content with what we have and where we are, knowing that God is bringing change into our lives. We are passing through one season onto another. I have been sorting through years worth of accumulation, donating, selling, trashing and giving away some stuff. I also have been doing some research and study, along with my prayers and conversations with God about it all. During this time I picked up a book about downsizing written by a Christian. Right away I got into the book. The author voices some of the same concerns that we had had about life being too busy and about things more than people. Then somewhere past halfway he says that God gives us “just enough”, giving the Manna in the wilderness as an example. That’s where he lost me.
Sure I know about the Manna. God gave them just enough, left overs rotted and got worms, He warned them, but they had to test it themselves. God tells us to be content in whatever state we are in, true (Phil 4:11). But what did Jesus show us by His example? Was he preaching the message of “just enough?” No, He said, “ The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” (John 10:10 Amp). He fed thousands, twice. One time they gathered up seven baskets of left-overs and another time twelve baskets. “ When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.” (John 6:12-13). Another time He called to His fisherman-disciples asking if they had caught any fish. At their answer of “no,” He instructed them to cast in the net one last time, to their astonishment there were so many fish, more than a normal nights catch, that it almost sank the boat! Now that doesn’t sound like “just enough” to me.
I would have been “enough” for Christ to die for a few, but He died for all. It would have been enough to just get us back from the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of His Father, but He didn’t stop there. Not only are we forgiven our sins He has redeemed us from the curse, given us health and life, given us all authority in heaven and earth, given us His Word, His Holy Spirit, I could go on like this for hours, but for the sake of the length of this blog I’ll stop here. He gave extravagantly, wondrously more than enough and promises that He wants to even give us “more than we could ask or think.” Jesus never wanted us to live day by day, that was never even God’s intention for the Children of Israel in the wilderness. He was taking them to the promised land, flowing with goodness. It was their stubbornness and lack of faith that got them to the dessert with Manna for breakfast, lunch and dinner. His desire for us is “MORE.”
Why does He provide more than enough? So we can share. Isn’t that what the gospel is all about? Sharing? I am sure that the author of that book wasn’t saying for us to be selfish, in fact part of the reason he gives for downsizing is to help others and spend more time working on relationships than running. I agree, we have gotten too busy, work, school, study groups, PTA meetings, Bible studies, ball practice, dance class, the gym, grocery shopping, picking up kids from the daycare, etc, etc, etc. But…we can’t limit God because of our messed up priorities. We choose how we spend our time. We choose what has our attention. He asks us to choose Him first. Then He promises to give us more than enough so that we can share it with others. “Freely you have received, freely give.”
So right now do you have “just enough” or maybe not even that much? Look at your priorities, look at your choices. Are you giving to God of your time, money and resources? Or are you like so many of us who have been caught up in life here on earth and just trying to get by? Sometimes we get just enough because of our stubbornness and lack of faith, but remember that isn’t His will for us. His will is and always has been, and forever will be to give us everything He has. Period.

Consider Solomon

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Solomon was given the royal title of King. He wasn’t his father, King David’s, firstborn son. He was the son of Bathsheba. David and Bathsheba committed adultery while she was married to Uriah the Hittite. David had him murdered in battle and married Solomon’s mother. David and Bathsheba conceived a son in their sin. After the man of God corrects David and he repents, the child dies. Then along comes Solomon.

David’s desire was to build a house for God. But due to his “bloody hands” and because he was a “man of war”, God couldn’t allow it. In his place, Solomon spent seven years with literally hundreds of thousands of men to build the temple, using the finest stones, lumber and precious metals. If you read I Kings and II Chronicles you can see the splendor. David designed it. Solomon built it.

When Solomon was to become King, God asked him to ask for whatever he wanted. As a new young King, with big shoes to fill, he asked for wisdom to rule the people. God was so pleased that He gave him the wisdom as well as riches and honor. In all time, Solomon was the wisest and richest man ever to live. A great beginning.
So what happened after his coronation and the building of the temple that takes us to Ecclesiastes 1:1-11, Where he exclaims “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the teacher. “Utterly Meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”

I believe chapter 11 of I Kings explains the heart of the matter.”Solomon loved many foreign women.” It’s not just that he married them, when it was forbidden by God, “You must not intermarry with them, because they surly will turn your hearts after their Gods.” No, the real issue was his heart. He “held fast to them in love.” And sure enough, “as Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to God, as the heart of David, his father had been” (verses 1-5). He ended up following other gods, including Molech who demanded they sacrifice their children by fire.

It’s pretty simple, really. God knows what is best for us. When we listen, things are good. When we don’t things aren’t so good. Sure bad things happen to all of us; after all we live in a fallen world that is under Satan’s control. But do you want to face them alone, or go through them with God on your side. It’s kind of a no-brainer.

What do you love more than God? Who do you love more than God? You might not have 700 wives and 300 mistresses but what takes your attention away from Him? What comes first? Whatever it is, you better get your priorities straightened out. Otherwise you’ll end up like Solomon screaming, “Meaningless! Meaningless!” We’ve all been there, hind-sight and all of that, thinking “that was a waste”. Solomon went from dedicating the temple where God showed up in such a way, physically, that the priests couldn’t even stand in his presence, to building places of worship for false gods, and he was the wisest man ever…

I like to think that I am pretty smart. I like to think that I have a pretty good relationship with God. But if Solomon in all of his wisdom and glory could fall so far…

Priorities. We all love our families, our Churches, our hobbies, interests, some of us our jobs, etc. But we need to love God best, or as my granddaughter used to say “the most-est”. Now, we don’t do that by “working” ourselves up like an actress getting ready to film the big love scene. Instead it’s something we work at, and work towards. Build a relationship that nothing else can replace or compare to. Choose God, first and foremost.

By the way, Solomon recognized his error and set his priorities straight, but how much time was wasted? What kind of example did he set for his son’s who were destined to rule? Read the rest of Kings and Chronicles. Things didn’t work out too well for his descendants, most of whom “did evil in the sight of the Lord”. What example do you want to leave?