Last night Bev and I drove over to our local diner (you gotta love those NJ diners) to eat. For a reasonable $10, they serve soup, salad, main meal, and dessert! Yes, that's all in the price of the meal. As always, I was tempted to eat it ALL, but my better sense said, "Jerry, if you do, you will have indigestion all evening." So I gave the soup to Bev, ate only about half of my dinner, and had the dessert boxed to take home. American consumers demand these large meal portions because they perceive it as 'getting their money's worth.' Eating establishments from McDonalds to fine restaurants are serving portions that are double the size of those served 30 years ago! Our eyes have learned to want more food than we need or even more than most of us can consume in one meal. Our over-consumption has become America’s number one health risk.
It's hard to know what is 'enough' isn't it? How much food should we eat? How much money do we really need? How big does our house need to be? 'More is good' and 'bigger is better' are concepts woven into our American lifestyle, but are they really true? The Bible calls us to 'contentment.' We read that "godliness with contentment is great gain." In The Message we read: "A devout life does bring wealth, but it's the rich simplicity of being yourself before God. Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that's enough." (1 Timothy 6:6-8) One of the most difficult disciplines of the Christian life is learning how to be content and when to set a limit on consumption. Most of us expand our need to fit our available resources. Instead of choosing a reasonable lifestyle and capping our spending, we just grow our appetite for more, better, bigger, newer, faster!
When God took the Israelites out of Egypt and was leading them to the Promised Land, He promised to be their complete resource. When they had a need, all they had to do was ask! For their daily food He gave them "manna" - literally bread from His hand. Every morning He provided and they found white flakes on the ground, which they prepared as their food. There was a principle attached to His provision of manna – the principle of enough. They were told only to gather what they needed, not more. He told them “No one is to keep any of it until morning.” However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them. Each morning everyone gathered as much as he needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away." (Exodus 16:19-21, NIV) Even with this miraculous provision of food, they were soon unhappy and complained that manna was boring. “Give more and different food,” they whined. "The Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt, and the people of Israel also began to complain. "Oh, for some meat!" they exclaimed. "We remember all the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic that we wanted. But now our appetites are gone, and day after day we have nothing to eat but this manna!" (Numbers 11:4-6, NLT) It was never enough!
Disciple, the Lord has promised to meet all of our needs (and more) when serve Him faithfully. He will even give us the desires of our heart, when our heart is full of the Spirit and aligned with His will. Are your appetites sanctified? Are you contented with what He provides and where He leads? We honor Him before our world when we readily and joyfully say: "Yes, Lord, I joyfully receive what You've provided."
Find the joy of contentment! Put the American sin of over-consumption to death and choose thankfulness for each day.
Are you willing to let God satisfy your desires, to accept what He provides each day as 'enough?'
Here’s a word from the Word for us today.
"At the moment I have all I need—more than I need! I am generously supplied ....
And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches,
which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
Now glory be to God our Father forever and ever. Amen."
(Philippians 4:18-20, NLT)
________________
You're my supply, my breath of life,
Still more awesome than I know!
You're my reward, worth living for,
Still more awesome than I know.
You're my sacrifice of greatest price,
Still more awesome than I know.
You're my coming King, You are ev'rything,
Still more awesome than I know.
All of You is more than enough for, all of me,
For ev'ry thirst and ev'ry need,
You satisfy me with Your love,
And all I have in You is more than enough.
More than all I want! More than all I need!
You are more than enough for me.
More than all I know! More than all I can say!
You are more than enough.
Enough © 2002 worshiptogether.com songs | sixsteps Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) | (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
Chris Tomlin | Louie Giglio
CCLI License No. 810055
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