Managing Time and Money WiselySample

How Much Is Enough?

Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “If I just had ‘x’ amount of money ...” or “If I just had more time ...”?

It’s easy to believe the lie that a certain amount of money or more hours in the day will bring us a sense of security or create the margin for us to serve others. But the truth is that if we don’t manage what we have now, we won’t know how to manage more later.

Jesus tells us in Luke 16:10 NIV that “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, ...”

Nearly all of us have been trained to believe that “enough” is what we need, plus a safety net. But in Exodus 16, we learn that “enough” doesn’t come with a safety net. Instead, it’s just what we need for today.

The Israelites experienced this truth when they were traveling in the wilderness after being freed from slavery in Egypt. As they’re grumbling about being hungry, God hears their complaints and responds by raining down bread each day. But there’s a test in God’s provision. He wants to see if they will trust Him as their Provider, or if fear would lead them to hoard a safety net of food.

Regardless of how much or how little the Israelites collected, they all found that they had enough. But the ones who chose to save their leftovers found maggots the next day.

God didn’t want the people to starve in the wilderness, but He also didn’t want them to take more than they needed. This blessing from God was an invitation to live with the faith that God would meet their needs each day.

And He did.

God is our Provider, and He is worthy of our trust. Jesus encouraged us to look at how wonderfully God cares for the wildflowers and the birds. If He takes such great care of them, how could we possibly think He wouldn’t care for us?

When we stop looking at our lack and start looking at who God is, we see that He is more than enough. And while it’s not wrong to save for a rainy day, we do so knowing that we can’t put our trust in money, which is here today and gone tomorrow.

Instead, we can put our full faith in God, knowing that He proves Himself faithful time and time again.

Pray: God, I want to trust that You are my Provider. While You value the work I do and the way I spend my time, I know it will never feel fulfilling unless I surrender it all to You. Please show me how I can live in the truth that I have all I need because of who You are. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Challenge: Where are you storing excess as a safety net? What could you do with that excess time or money to serve someone today?