DAILY READING
REFLECTION
Enough is Enough, Right?
by Dan Kidd
Whoever loves money never has enough.
Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.
This too is meaningless.
Over the next several weeks, we will be considering how Jesus' Gospel sets us free, specifically as it pertains to our wealth, possessions, and what we treasure. And today's passage plainly emphasizes something important: the love of money, the tireless pursuit of acquisition and storing up wealth, is utterly meaningless. It's as futile as trying to grab hold of the wind. So why is this so tempting to so many of us? Why do we collect things, store up resources, hoard away our money, and pursue even more? Why are we inclined to prefer abundance rather that sufficiency?
Enough is enough, isn't it? Surely it should be. This is an old and practical Bible lesson. God provides what we need, like manna in the wilderness, and when we take more than enough it spoils. Like the wisdom-collector and teacher, Ecclesiastes, observes, when goods are simply stored up they ultimately become useless but to be a feast for the eyes. Surely we can do better than to collect goods to feast our eyes on, right? Yes, we can. But it's not always so easy as that. Because the lines between what is sufficient and what is abundant aren't as clear as I'd like them to be. Will I know when that little more that I want is more than enough?
But as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep.
For some, perhaps many, this seems entirely counterintuitive. Surely we can imagine (or know intimately) how poverty can cause sleeplessness? But so can abundance. And perhaps we know that intimately also? Because the truth is that contentment isn't primarily dependent on what we have or don't have. That's not to say they're not related, but it if foolishness--meaningless--to pursue riches as though they are satisfaction. Certainly riches don't ensure peace, contentment, or restfulness. We can know that by looking to the richest among us. So why do we think they would? Why can we not help but think that if only we were a little richer things would be better?
The wisdom-collector tells us wealth is a fickle and fleeting thing to put our trust in. Either we hoard it and harm ourselves, we suffer misfortune and lose it, or we die and leave the world as empty-handed as we entered it. Do we not see the evidence of that all around us? Fortunately, our treasure nor our trust needs to be found in our earthly wealth. Because the Lord is trustworthy, we can be set free of a life lived depending on things that will rot, break, or go missing, and instead receive freedom and hope in the richness of God's provisions and heavenly treasures.
PRAYER
Dear Lord, we ask that you draw us deeper into our dependence on you. We pray that you would replace our endless desires for more with a contentment for what you deem is enough. Make us to be rich in love, goodness, and every heavenly gift. Train our eyes to look on the things that you have provided us, and not to the things we wish you'd provided us. Allow us, Lord, to feast on the sufficiency of your daily bread. Amen.
