How much is enough?

How much is enough? Enough time. Enough house, enough car. Above all, how much is enough money? Please don't glibly say, good question, and read further. Think about it. How much is enough food....? Clothes? STUFF??!! Maybe even take a pencil and paper, and make some notes. 

Because, we are going to come back to this answer.

Now the next question is - how did you decide how much is enough? 

Somewhere in the back of your mind we have goals, sometimes not even articulated. Maybe usually not articulated? These sub-conscious goals have an enormously strong influence on your life, especially if you have no other explicit conscious goals.

How much television and internet streaming do you watch? With all the beautiful people, with their beautiful houses, cars and jewelry? And the accompanying advertisements that promise you many different ways to happiness..... 

What is the influence of your friends and family? How are their lifestyles subconsciously influencing your own lifestyle?

Your colleagues and competition at work and business - are they pushing you for more and more hours, higher and higher profits? How often do you bend your morals, and say "But it's the way business is done..."

Do you have an influence that says - slow down, it is ok, smell the roses?

Add all the hours that the above-mentioned people and activities occupy in your life, and compare that with say - how much time you spend with God? 

What is God's expectations of us? None of the usual things we care about - a good salary, financial independence, a good retirement plan. His budget says "Give us this day our daily bread".

Do you really believe that? I know that I struggle with, constantly checking how much have I saved, when can I retire, will I ever be able to retire...?
But there are millions and billions of people surviving on less than we do, and probably happier than many of us.
Do we have a focus on our neighbours, and how we can help them? Or do we think, once I am settled, THEN I can help others. THEN it will be time to do charity?

 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

Let us take care in how much we desire, and what we desire it for. Please join me as we go back to our original assumptions above, and revisit them. Do I really need the lifestyle I have? Where can I start making little changes to get of the treadmill....?