How Much is Enough

Since I was unable to go to church this morning, I thought I would blog about the bible study I am doing. 
Ti has had a fever for three days, it is gone right now but it hasn't been gone 24 hours.  You know those nursery workers are real sticklers about that sort of thing.  Which I am thankful for.

Anyway, now on to what I studied this morning.  I am doing a Bible study named Where Your Treasure Is.  I am always dealing with money issues so what better study to do.  Right?  This morning lesson was "how much is enough."  As soon as I read this I thought I was probably going to be convicted. 

As my mind drifted into thoughts about my pantry.  This morning I was going through it to decide what I wanted to give to the food drive at church.  We are making Thanksgiving baskets for some needy families in our area.  My pantry is very well stocked.  If you don't believe me just ask Kendra she likes to look in there and just see what I have.  Or you could just come over and be awed yourself.  hehehe  Kendra usually makes a comment to the effect that I have a lot of stuff in there.   It has kinda become a joke about how much stuff I have in there. In justification of this I like to be prepared.  You never know when you might need to whip something up.  As I as trying to decide what I wanted to give.  I caught myself being stingy.  I am sure yal never have any of those thoughts.  Wanting to keep the best for yourself.  Anyway enough about my stingy issue and my well stocked pantry this is suppose to be blog about How Much is Enough.  Oh wait maybe that has something to do with it after all.

After this was accomplished I had to put all the coats I have been collecting in a large bag for Timmy to take to the church.  I have had them piled in my stairway (Out of sight mean clean right).  They are going to do a coat drive for the homeless.  I probably bagged up about 20 coats that people gave away just because they had something better.  But of course this wouldn't stirr up any thoughts of having to much stuff because I didn't have not one coat in there.  I use all the ones I have.  I like to wear different coats depending on the outfit.  Or maybe I might have had a little guilt about how many different coats I like to use.

After all this was done I set down in my nice rocker with the padded arms, propped my feet up on my nice king size bed and started my devotion.  Of course before this I had to put a blanket down on my carpeted floor and get a few of Titus's many toys for him to play with while I read my Bible.  Which the whole playing thing is a blessing because he has required being held at all time for the last three days.   Anyway back to the Bible study.

In Luke 12 Jesus tells a parable about a man who had stuff.  Then he wanted more stuff so that he could sit around (he probably had a nice rocker too) and be happy and not work for the rest of his life.  What he didn't realize was that his life would be required of him that night.  He had worked to get all this stuff for nothing because in the end it was worthless when he stood before the holy God.  After I read this I started looking around at our nice warm furnished house.   Of course I didn't look into my pantry because of course God wants me to have all stuff in there, right?   I am wondering what does God think about this? 

I was talking to a lady in Walmart and we started discussing Thanksgiving and she had mentioned that she had been buying a few things with each paycheck so that it wouldn't all hit at once, the expense of the Thanksgiving meal.  I might have had a tiny bit of guilt at this point.  All I have to do is make a few various items and show up at the family.  I am so blessed.  What would it be like not to have enough just to provide the basic of needs such as food, shelter, and clothing. 

As I look back at these various situation that have just came up this week I am wondering do I have too much.  I have been trying to get a little more work so that money doesn't seem so tight.  But I really don't have a clue what many people go through.  When I think of tight I am thinking I might have to quite letting Andrew go to KDP three days a week and only allow him to go when I am working, or not going out to eat on Fridays.  I don't cook on Friday night.  These are somethings I don't want to have to give up.  But then you look at others and see that it not giving up going out to eat but eating food all together.

The very ending verse says "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God".  This is what Jesus thought of the person that had stored up all the possessions.  They were worthless.    In Ephesians 4:28 it says  "If you are a thief, stop stealing. Begin using your hands for honest work, and then give generously to others in need."

So through all of this I think I have come to this conclusion.  It is not a sin to have stuff but it is if you are not giving generously to those in need and all this "stuff" means nothing when you stand before the holy God.  He is going to be looking at what you did with what he entrusted you with not with how much you had.

So the questions might not should be "how much is enough" but the real question is "am I using everything I have how God wants me to use it?"