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HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?
Quote from C.S. Lewis: “All that is not eternal is eternally useless”
How much “stuff” is enough? How many of us have much more than we need? I enjoyed a fantastic childhood! We had a home, godly parents, and plenty to eat. My parents were hard working, faithful servants of God who had enough. We never had an abundance of “things”. By the world’s standards, we were probably way below that poverty line that the government always uses as a standard of living. But I have the best memories of a really good childhood. My memories are dominated by the joy and happiness we enjoyed as a family. We played, laughed, visited with friends and never dwelled on the things we did not have. Of course, we had sickness, sorrows, troubles, money problems, and conflicts! But those are not the things that dominate my memories. I never think of the possessions that we did not have when I recall my childhood.
Today, there are many who are imprisoned by their wants. They are not happy unless they have all the “toys” of success. They want the latest fashion, electronics, cars, and endless vacations! If we are defining our happiness by our possessions, we are indeed a miserable people! Paul writes that he had learned to be satisfied with the things he had. We need to assess the things that make us happy against those things that lead us to be content. If our happiness is defined by the next possession, we will never find contentment.
“(11) I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. (12) 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. (13) I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
Philippians 4:11-13 (NIV)
Brinda Blair
Magee, MS
