Enough
Six women, five preschoolers, five toddlers, four babies.
I’ve offered to host Bible study/play group this week, and, to my surprise, twenty people are coming. The inhabitable area of my home is only about 600 sq ft, and half of that is bedrooms and a bathroom. All twenty of my guests will need to cram into 300 square feet of kitchen and living room.
As I prep the living room for my guests’ arrival, picking up stray socks and bringing out some extra toys, I experience a brief moment of panic. What if all twenty guests don’t fit in this living room? What if the women have nowhere to sit and their children are running around bumping into each other? What if they judge me for my small home and lack of adequate play space? What if they wonder, “why the heck did she invite us over here? She doesn’t have enough room for us!”
Enough.
Every once in awhile, this word taps me on the shoulder. “Excuse me,” it says, “but are you sure you have enough? Did you make enough food? Do you have enough stuff? Do you have enough space? Do you have enough time? Don’t you need more of all of these things?
I take a deep breath and swallow my insecurities.
My lack of space isn’t the problem here. My heart is the problem.
Of course I have enough. In fact, I have more than enough. I have a kitchen stocked with all the fixings for a veritable coffee shop. I can make peppermint mochas, caramel lattes, chai lattes, tea, coffee. I have a casserole dish full of delicious apple/sweet potato bake. I have some fantastic imaginative wooden toys the children will enjoy. I have a Bible study set to go. But I can’t share any of these blessings with my friends if I am too insecure and focused on the have nots to invite them into my home!
Sometimes I find myself thinking “If only I had just a little bit more.” Maybe you’ve thought this way too. A slightly bigger living room would be nice. How I would love more counter space in the kitchen! If I could just get those things, and maybe an additional bedroom to use as an office, THEN I would be content.
But God doesn’t say “Be content after you get what you want.”
He says “Be content with what you have.” (Hebrews 13:5).
1 Timothy 6:6-8 “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”
Moreover, he charges us to use what we have to bless others.
“We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.” (Romans 12:5-8)
With this in mind, I welcome my 20 guests. No one (except me) even mentions the tiny space. We enjoy our time chatting, drinking Chai lattes and studying God’s word. Once again, God has provided more than enough. I just need to work on remembering it!
Do you have enough?
