sufficiency

For maybe a decade now I’ve been intrigued with the idea of enough. How much is enough? At what point am I happy with my lifestyle. When am I making enough money? How luxurious does my car need to be? My thinking changes over time, probably because all the pressure of our culture contradicts what my heart tells me is true.

I got some reassurance this morning from Paul in 2 Corinthians 9:8: “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”

Sufficiency I think is a better word than enough. Enough implies the bare minimum – anything less isn’t enough. Sufficiency implies the right amount to do whatever needs to be done.

That’s exactly what God can do for us – look at this verse. Look at the word “abound” – that’s the root of abundance, which is way more than enough, or even sufficient. Because that’s how much grace God pours on us, we will have sufficiency. We’ll have sufficiency for all things – all things! – and at all times! There isn’t a thing or a time for which God’s grace to us won’t enable us to have the right amount of whatever we need.

But there’s a reason – so that we can abound in good work. Not so I can live better, or have more, but so that I can do more for others. If that’s my focus, I guess the question of how much is enough for myself doesn’t matter as much.