Prison Ministries

Read 2 Corinthians 9, Psalm 116
How Much is Enough?

“You are under a curse-the whole nation of you-because you are robbing me.” Malachi 3:9 NIV

Greed can be a bottomless pit of emptiness. Those obsessed by it are never satisfied. It is usually used in terms of wealth, but can also be applied to power, applause, and pleasures. When asked how much is enough, the answer is usually,”just a little bit more.”

There is another very important aspect of this question that is all too often misunderstood even by believers. When we ask “how much is enough” to give to God, we often think in terms of how little we can get by with instead of how much more we can give.

We need to understand that we are just tenant farmers and sharecroppers in the kingdom of God. God owns everything and just allows us the privilege of living on His land and producing fruits of righteousness that will glorify Him and build up His domain. All we have to do is read the daily paper and we will see that God can foreclose on us at any time.

In light of God’s love for us, it might be well to ask how much of our time, talents are treasures are enough for God. We know from Scripture that we should give proportionately. We know that when we give under compulsion or grudgingly, God is not pleased. We know that God has been generous with us so that we can be generous on all occasions.

Only the security of knowing who we are and where we are going because of Jesus Christ can give that godly contentment and peace that can take away our insatiable desire for more of the things of this world.

Only when we survey the passion of the Cross can we understand that we can never give enough to thank God for the great things He has done for us; but we can be looking for opportunities for giving Him more of everything instead of looking for excuses for giving Him less.

Father, give me the passion to give You more instead of less of all that I am and have. Amen