When is Enough, Enough?

“The leech has two daughters, ‘Give,’ ‘Give.’ There are three things that will not be satisfied, Four that will not say, ‘Enough’: Sheol, and the barren womb, earth that is never satisfied with water, and fire that never says, “Enough” (Proverbs 30:15-16).

Today I was walking through the Miracle Hill Thrift Store in Simpsonville, South Carolina. The stated mission of Miracle Hill Ministries is, “Helping provide food and shelter and a miracle every day, all while sharing the love of Christ with others.” As I walked the aisles of the store, I came across a plain piece of wood with the word “Enough” painted on it.

My heart was gripped by the message on the sign, as I realized that the whole mission of the store is to help provide for those who simply don’t have enough, enough food, enough clothing, enough shelter. Thankfully, the racks and shelves of the store are full of the donations of those who do have enough.

As I continued to ponder, the words of Proverbs 30:15-16 began running through my mind. In these two verses we are presented with four things that never say enough. But my mind would not let me stop with just those four. As human beings, most of us struggle with drawing a line in the sand and saying, “Enough.” Enough stuff, enough toys, enough possessions, enough entertainment, enough fame, enough fortune, etc.

In his first letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul wrote, “But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content” (I Timothy 6:6-8).

For those whose lives are defined by Matthew 6:33, “…seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…”, the promise of God is to meet their basic needs, those being, food, clothing, and shelter. If we have these, we are called to be content. But here’s the problem, most of us have lived so far above God’s baseline of provision for so long that we have lost the touch with the meaning of the word contentment, which enables us to say, “I have enough.” How much is enough? The general answer to that question seems to be, “Just a little more.”

I find that my contentment here on earth is directly related to the words written by the Psalmist Asaph, “Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth” (Psalm 73:25). Or as the writer of Psalm 119:57 said, “The Lord is my portion.” When I am actively seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, He fills my heart and mind with overwhelming contentment. When I fail to keep my fix my eyes on Him, I find that my mind and my desires begin to wander. When I do delight myself in Him, I discover that the desires that well up in my heart, were born in the throne room of heaven, finding that, He desires, His desires through me (Psalm 37:4).

We all struggle with the “Enough” question. But, as Christians, those who claim, “This world is not my home” are we willing to even ponder the question, “When is Enough, Enough?” Could it be when He becomes more than enough? “Jehovah Jireh, my Provider, You are more than enough for me. Jehovah Shamma, You are with me, You supply all my needs. You're more than enough, more than enough, more than enough for me.”