Just A Little Bit More

We live in a world that tends to promote greed.  We always want more – many times not because we really NEED something, but simply because we WANT it.  There can be a great divide between that want and need and we don’t use restraint and good judgment – we tend to just overindulge ourselves.  No matter how much or little we have, it seems that we always want just a little bit more.  Our mindset is that that’s what we need in order to be happy.  

I believe this is something that we all need to be more aware of in our daily life.  We need to learn how to be content, to be satisfied with what we have – which in reality is probably all that we truly need.  We should be on guard when those temptations cause us to not really think rationally about the importance of the things we are considering.  The sooner we recognize that “things” will not make us truly happy, the better off we will be.  It’s a matter of contentment vs. discontentment.

“Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have because He has said, ‘I will never leave you; I will always be by your side.’”  (Hebrews 13:5 VOICE)

“I am not complaining about having too little. I have learned to be satisfied with whatever I have. I know what it is to be poor or to have plenty, and I have lived under all kinds of conditions. I know what it means to be full or to be hungry, to have too much or too little. Christ gives me the strength to face anything.”  (Philippians 4:11-13 CEV)

“Then He used that opportunity to speak to the crowd.  Jesus: ‘You’d better be on your guard against any type of greed, for a person’s life is not about having a lot of possessions.’”  (Luke 12:15 VOICE)

“It’s healthy to be content, but envy can eat you up.”  (Proverbs 14:30 CEV)

“Devotion to God is, in fact, a way for people to be very rich, but only if it makes them satisfied with what they have. When we came into the world, we brought nothing. And when we die, we can take nothing out. So, if we have food and clothes, we will be satisfied with that.”  (1 Timothy 6:6-8 ERV)

We need to realize that the temporary things here on earth have no real meaning in the long run, so we should keep them and their importance in perspective.  It’s not that God doesn’t want us to have the desires of our heart.  However, they should not have a more important place in our hearts and minds than our relationship with God, which is of much more value than any material possessions.  A strong spiritual life can help with that balance of material things – helping us to focus on what we most need and to be satisfied with what we have.  

In one of my previous articles a year or two ago, I stated something like this – if you were to wake up tomorrow and only have what you remembered to thank God for today – what would you have?  When I first heard that statement it really opened my eyes and caused me to be more thankful in my daily prayers for all I do have.  It also helps me to realize how much I actually have and how little I truly need.  So I would challenge you to think about that and learn to be content and satisfied with what you have and do not be envious of what others have.  Be content – be satisfied and don’t always desire just a little bit more.

Written by Karran Martin – May 20, 2023

[All bold emphasis is mine]