I don’t know about you but this sermon series on Enough is coming at a good time for me. I’ve had the opportunity over the last year and a half to really be faced with assessment and acceptance of what is enough. Before January 6, 2010 I had a great job that while very demanding and at times extremely stressful , compensated me very well. On that income I was able to buy a townhouse (and not have to have a roommate to help pay for it), get a new car every 5-6 years, be very generous in charitable contributions and financial support to a variety of things that had touched my life or that I believed in and felt called to support, upgrade to digital TV with a DVR and high speed internet, go on trips to the beach and other places, eat out whenever I wanted to, take advantage of sales at Belk’s and Steinmart and buy what I liked (whether I needed it or not) and add to my stockpiled fabric stash anytime I saw something I liked – all the while saving a tidy little sum every month and a good amount going into my retirement fund so I could retire early. All that came to a screeching halt. Suddenly I was faced with the questions – how much income do I need to pay the essential bills (and what is essential)? I had to say “I’m sorry, but I can’t continue to contribute to your ministry right now.” I had to evaluate every purchase, asking – do I really NEED this or is this just something that’s attractive in the moment and I think I want. I had to consider – what can I do without, is this something I really need to spend money on? I guess you could say I had to simplify my life cold turkey. Fortunately for me, I never went without the things that I really needed and the things that are ultimately important. In fact, as I remind myself often, I am most blessed and really have no basis for complaint. I share all that to say, the standard for “enough” is really much lower than we realize or at least are willing to admit, until we’re forced to. This applies not just to money and financial resources – it also applies to other things like use of time and eating habits (I sure wouldn’t be overweight if I paid attention to what was really enough for my body versus my appetites).
Coincidentally or providentially one of the devotional resources I use each day, Alive Now published by the Upper Room, has as its theme for September/October “Enough.” There have been several readings in the issue that have spoken to me and I’d like to share them with you here. I hope you find them meaningful as well and that you have the opportunity to reflect on what really is enough.
Sue Ellen Nicholson
Minister of Administration and Discipleship
Deliver Us from Today by Ciona Rouse
Dear Creator,
Deliver us from today
Where all I am is never enough
Where things are not big enough or nice enough
Where we never acquire enough things
Where we never have enough money
To spend on kids who are almost cool enough
nearly smart enough
not quite popular enough
but they could be enough
if we bought them enough
where our clothes could always be more stylish
our décor could always be more savvy
our spouses could always be more like someone else’s
everything could be more
except less requests of me
beggars get your own jobs
foreigners feed your own faces
mothers mother your own children
because there just isn’t enough
Deliver us from that, Creator God.
From the economy of needing more
From the mind lies of not enough
From the judgment of who deserves what
Deliver us from today;
drop us off at Eden.
Where your gaze fell upon the world
And all you could call Creation was good
Lovely
Beautiful
Enough
For the birds of the air
For the lilies of the field
For him
For her
Me
We
An Economy of Love by Lanecia Rouse
We thank you, Jesus,
that you offer us
more than we can possibly offer
or imagine for ourselves.
When we thirst, you offer us Living Water.
When we hunger, you offer us the Bread of Life.
When the storms of life are raging around us,
you calm the waters and offer us peace.
When we lean towards living out of scarcity,
you guide us to live out of an economy of love
where there is enough for everyone’s needs to be met,
and then some.
Holy Spirit, come,
lead us daily to be people
who live out an economy of love
for God, neighbor, and self,
in gratitude and faithful stewardship
as we daily walk
in grace
and love
with you.
