How Much Is Enough?

Faith & Finance

So, how much is enough for Christians?

If you’re just starting out, or struggling financially, “How much is enough?” might seem like a silly question. The bottom line for you is that you just need more money at the moment! Why should you think about “how much is enough” when you hardly have anything?

And what if you’re at the other end of things? If you’re approaching retirement, you might be thinking about the size of your nest egg. But why put a limit on accumulating money and possessions?

Based on these two examples, the definition of “enough” seems to depend on what stage of life you’re in. Well, let’s look at what the Bible has to say about what’s “enough”.

In Luke 12:15, Jesus says, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” Jesus is making a rather unexpected statement: Getting more money is never the goal, no matter how old you are.

Jesus As The Source Of Life

The desire of every human heart is for life, which means satisfying, abundant, purposeful existence. So, when Jesus says “life does not consist in an abundance of possessions,” he’s pointing away from money as the source of life, and to something else.

That something else is Himself. Here’s what Jesus says:

• John 11:25-26 - “Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.’”
• John 14:6 - “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
• John 10:10 - “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

So, our deepest needs for relationship and purpose are met in Christ. He is enough. But what about the things we need to survive, day to day? Well, believers in Christ serve a God who promises to “meet all our needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

Trusting God For Daily Needs

In Matthew 6, Jesus reminds his followers not to be anxious about food, or clothing, or shelter. “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

This means… you will always have enough of what you need to live, and you can trust God to know what that is. Anything beyond that is a gift.

Following Jesus means acknowledging God’s sovereignty and his ownership of everything. As the Holy Spirit works in your heart, your motivation to accumulate gradually changes from self-centered to God-centered.

With Jesus as Lord of your life, your idea of “enough” begins to change, too…because you’re trusting God to meet your needs…and your desires start to line up with what God wants. You will begin to “desire less” of worldly things, and “more” of Christ.

All this is part of the miraculous heart-change that happens when God gets hold of you. So, while the worldly person is asking, “How can I get more?”, the Christian asks, “How can I love God more?”

As a loving Father, God not only provides for daily needs, but he provides satisfying Kingdom work for his children to do. James 1:7 says, “Everygood and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights”. Out of gratitude and a desire to be more like Jesus, we look for ways to serve others with what God has provided.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” - Ephesians 2:10

So, consider this…“How much is enough?” may actually be the wrong question. For believers, the real question is, “Who is enough?” Following Christ is the way to peace, joy and abundant life.

No matter what your financial situation is, ask God to change your heart. He will change your desire for accumulation…into a desire for less stuff and more Jesus. The rest will fall into place.

On Today’s Program, Rob Answers Listener Questions:

• I collect Social Security Disability and I was wondering if I should stop that and go straight to Social Security or is there a way I can receive both?
• My wife and I are debt-free minus our mortgage. I’m maxing out my retirement account right now and have sufficient funds in my savings account for an emergency fund. Should we start aiming at paying our house off early?
• I have a neighbor who wants to buy 20 feet of a property I own which I’m willing to do, but I have no concept of how to determine a fair market value for the property. And I also don’t know how to determine the implications for income tax on this transaction.
• I have a question regarding donations to 501(C)3 organizations where I gave in the month of December. The reason I’m confused is that the bill doesn’t come due on my credit card until January. So which year is the gift tax-deductible for?
• I have about $12,000 in credit card debt and I’m wondering if I should transfer it over to a new credit card that offers 0% interest for 21 months or go with a personal loan with a lower interest rate. Thoughts?

Resources Mentioned:

• Social Security Administration (ssa.gov)
• Christian Credit Counselors
• Rich Toward God: A Study on the Parable of the Rich Fool
• Find a Certified Kingdom Advisor (CKA)
• FaithFi App

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