Blessings are a hot topic in the church and they always have been. A while back we posted an article asking if we view blessings correctly. In that article, we covered many aspects of blessings in the church and how it is possible that we have missed the point of God’s blessings. But we were not able to discuss the often overlooked blessing of enough.
The concept of the blessing of enough is carried from the Old Testament to the New. This blessing is exactly what it sounds like. The gift of simply having exactly what you need nothing more and nothing less. Just like the Israelites when it rained mana from heaven and when the ravens brought Elijah food in the wilderness. God always gave them enough.
The Example of Creation
One of the greatest examples of the blessing of enough, in my opinion, was given by Jesus in Matthew chapter six. Jesus uses creation to explain to show that since God provides for other aspects of creation. He will also provide for His greatest creation. Jesus begins by bringing to our attention the fact that birds neither reap nor sow but always seem to have enough.
Matthew 6:26 (ESV)
26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
This verse is often taken to mean that God will provide for the needs of His people. And I believe that to be true, but many people seem to be confused about what our needs actually are. Which is why looking at the animal kingdom is a great place to start.
In a truly wild environment animals always appear to be healthy. Not underfed but at the same time not overfed. They always seem to have exactly what is required for them to survive. Which we must believe is the way God intended it to be and is most likely how he intended us to live.
Jesus goes on to the worry many had about clothing in their time. While the worry may have been different in that time, many today still worry about clothing today. Jesus points out the fact that even one of the richest Kings to ever live was not able to dress as beautiful as God dresses the flowers. And that again if God will do that for them what more will He do for His people?
Matthew 6:28-30 (ESV)
28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothes you, O you of little faith?
Creation does not worry as we do about where its food and clothing will come from. It simply trusts its creator to provide exactly what it needs when it needs it. Which is exactly what Jesus is instructing His audience to do. We need not worry about anything and instead trust that God will provide enough for our needs.
Enough Should Be Enough
We should be pleased when God is willing to bless us with enough. Our goal in life should not be to try and accumulate as many possessions as possible. Instead, we should be happy when we are given just what we need to live and any more should be viewed as a great blessing. Paul even talks about this in 1 Timothy.
1 Timothy 6:8 (ESV)
8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.
That verse really makes the point for me. If we have enough then we should be content. Always wanting more and more is a sign that we are trying to still live a life in the world. If that’s you I highly suggest you spend some time in prayer and study. Because Jesus tells us that we can not live for the world and God simultaneously.
Matthew 6:24 (ESV)
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
The Prayer For Enough
The best way to stay in the right mindset about having enough is to pray. In Proverbs 30 we are given a great example of how to pray for God to bless us just what we need. This section of scripture also explains exactly why we should ask for this blessing from God.
Proverbs 30:8-9 (ESV)
8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that is needful for me,
9 lest I be full and deny you
and say, “Who is the Lord?”
or lest I be poor and steal
and profane the name of my God.
It is easy for us to look at large sums of money and think how easy it would be serving God if we were rich. Yet this section of scripture seems to imply that the opposite would be true. That by having excess we would begin to see ourselves as God and not think the Lord for the blessing He gifted us.
Some, on the other hand, may believe that to have nothing would be better. Because then you would be able to focus on the things of God. While not having the distractions of possessions. But as the above passage points out having nothing would most likely cause you to sin in order to survive. Which is also not what God wants for our lives.
And that is why praying for and receiving the blessing of enough is so important. It causes us to continue to rely on God. While also not having to resort to sinful actions in order to survive. This truly is the perfect blessing and I believe what God would have us to strive after.
An Issue of Heart
It is not wrong for you to have more than what you need. What really matters is that your heart is right. Coveting your wealth and lusting after more and more are both sinful. As Christians, those are things we should never do.
The Bible tells us that we should work hard to earn. But that when we gain we should be generous and bless others with our excess.
Ephesians 4:28 (ESV)
28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.
Acts 20:35 (ESV)
35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
We must realize that of course, God will provide for His people but that does not mean we will have more than what is required. It is far more likely that God will give us what we need in order to survive. And if by chance we receive extra, it may be that we are meant to gift someone else with the blessing of enough.
So if you find yourselves with enough be joyful and thank God. If you are gifted with excess then be generous and help to bless others with enough so they too can thank God. A mindset such as that is central to the Christian lifestyle.
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Awesome word!