Ugh. Just the thought of that makes me reflect on times in the past when I was running late to an appointment. The whole appointment became stressful because I was rushing to make it on time…I had just enough time.
Or how about having “just enough” financially? It is a dreadful feeling when you encounter someone in need but feel you only have enough for your own needs. Or the church is raising money for something you really believe in, but you look at the checkbook and realize you are unable to give towards it. You had just enough finances.
The Bible addresses this concept of having ‘just enough.’
“When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 23:22
The heart of this passage is telling the owners of the fields not to take all of their harvest for themselves. The Lord didn’t want them to hoard the harvest but to make sure they left room for others in need. This is such a powerful concept that can relate to our everyday lives. It leaves a question we should ask ourselves as believers; “Have I left room for others?”
The answer to always feeling like you have just enough, is to leave room. Have (deliberate) margin in your time and your finances. Have some spiritual reserves so you are prepared for every divine appointment the Lord places in your path. Leave yourself some moral margin rather than putting yourself in tempting situations. There are many ways we could apply this scripture to our lives, but the point is simple: It’s not all about you.
You can live your life on ‘just enough’ but don’t expect to make much of an impact on those around you. Those that live on just enough are like a person who drives their car on empty. It becomes a self-centered and stressful way to live, that blinking “E” signal is the only thing they can focus on.
A few weeks ago, my husband had a day off and we had absolutely nothing on the schedule for that day. It turned out that a married couple we know hadn’t had a break from their kids in such a long time, it was beginning to become tense in the home. We were able to watch their kids that day so they could have a date. It was a wonderful feeling knowing that we didn’t jam pack our schedules to the point where we weren’t able to meet a need when one was presented.
Matthew 25 tells the parable of the virgins who came to meet the bridegroom and brought their lamps. Five of them brought oil for their lamps, five of them didn’t. It was the ones who were prepared with more than enough who were ready when the bridegroom arrived. This parable is what the Kingdom of Heaven is compared to - those who didn’t plan or think ahead weren’t ready when the time came.
What about you? Are you living life on ‘just enough’ or have you left room for others?
Don't Settle,
Mel Miller
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