Enough

Two things I ask of you;

deny them not to me before I die:

Remove far from me falsehood and lying;

give me neither poverty nor riches;

feed me with the food that is needful for me,

lest I be full and deny you

and say, "Who is the LORD?"

or lest I be poor and steal

and profane the name of my God.

- Proverbs 30: 7-9

What is it to have "enough"? In a culture where advertising is all-pervasive, then the notion of dissatisfaction must also reign. It is a constant struggle to remember the stark difference between needs and wants.

Great spiritual struggle is associated with both poverty and wealth in the above scripture passage. It is written as a reminder that both extremes can be dangerous to your soul and spiritual welfare. I find it so hard not to want more, usually when it comes to my dwelling place. I flip through the real estate section of our local newspaper, I browse the online house listings, and I yearn for a house with another bedroom, or an office, or some land, or a basement, or more kitchen cabinets, or hardwood floors. But what I have now is amazing. And it is enough. It is neither poverty nor riches, which would seem to indicate that I have exactly received the blessing for which the writer of this proverb prayed. I often grimace that in order to get that "little bit more" it could almost double our mortgage. I feel a twinge that it is out of reach. And then I feel gratitude for that which I do have, which, while to some might be considered poverty, to many millions in the world would be considered riches beyond imagination.

I am blessed. I am reminded. I am happy. I am satisfied.