Living With "Enough"
By Susan Klein
"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 every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."
Philippians 4:12 (NIV)
I've never had a walk-in closet. When my husband and I moved six years ago, that was one of the items on my "wish list" as we looked at homes. I didn't get it. In fact, the house we chose has fewer closets than our previous home had. Hanging my clothes in my "standard-sized" closet one night, that latent desire for a walk-in revisited my thoughts. "If my closet were bigger, I could have room for..." Then, reality spoke. "Don't I already have so much that I need to purge my closet every year?"
How much is enough? Is it wrong to have "more than enough"? The Apostle Paul addresses this concern in his letter to the Philippians. He apparently had more than enough at some point in his lifetime as he mentions knowing "what it is to live in plenty." He was also familiar with the flip side: knowing what it is to truly live "in want." Fact: God blesses each person according to His perfect will. Paul knew this. His message is one of contentment over anxiety, recognizing "enough" in all circumstances. So, where is the middle ground between "plenty" and "want"?
I don't believe there is a middle ground. I believe, like Paul, that whatever God has blessed us with is "enough." The key, according to Paul, is to know how to be content with much or with little, and to avoid the snare of "anxiety" over thinking we need more, when we truly have enough. While I don't believe it is a sin to have much, I do believe it is sinful to show ingratitude for God's provisions by always craving more.
What if I could look at my (not walk-in) closet and say, "I am truly content with/grateful for what this closet holds?" I would honor God. What if I looked at my half-empty cupboard as being half-full? I'd exhibit contentment. Or, what if God chose to take it all away from me? Would I succumb to anxiety, or choose contentment, rooted in trust?
Not that I desire to seriously be in want, but if one day I am, I hope I can honestly say, "It is enough."
To quote a fellow writer, "Blessed is he who is happy with enough."
GOING DEEPER:
1. Where do you find yourself on the scale of anxiety - - contentment?
2. How might you use your "plenty" to help someone truly "in want"?
FURTHER READING:
Susan is married to Mark, and has two adult children. She enjoys teaching Bible studies, writing, and tutoring with the Literacy Council. She is a member of the Peace Team at Oakwood and also co-leads a Sunday morning Community Bible Experience small group.
