Devotions with Pastor Blake Owings

"Enough”

Luke 12:32 So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your father great happiness to give you the Kingdom. (NLT)

What makes you afraid? I don’t mean things like arachnophobia or xanthophobia(fear of the color yellow, and yes it’s an actual thing). But what kinds of things cause you to stress and worry? We often have these feelings when life seems out of our control, and when life seems out of control it’s because we feel like we don’t have “enough”.

Earlier in this chapter Jesus tells his followers the parable of the foolish rich man. This man had fertile land that produced a great amount of crops. But the man spent all of his time worrying about where he would keep his surplus. In verse 19 the man says to himself “And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ The story ends with God saying to the man, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’

How much time do you spend worrying that you will have “enough” or that you will be “enough”? This rich man told himself once he had “enough” he would be able to enjoy life. But what even is “enough”? It’s easy to get caught in a trap where our idea of “enough” changes with our circumstances. Jesus is reminding us throughout Luke 12 that life is so much more than getting or being “enough”. This is also more than just stuff. We often try to act and do certain things so that other people will think that we are “enough”. Don’t get me wrong it’s not necessarily a bad thing to have stuff, or to do things with excellence. However, if God is not at the center of our lives it is all in vain. This is why Jesus calls us a little flock. He is reminding us that we are sheep in need of a shepherd. We have someone here to provide us with what we need. While we try to fill our lives up with “enough” God is happily offering us His Kingdom, which will always be more than enough.

Are you willing to be humble today? To realize that you are sheep in need of a shepherd. Are you willing to let go of trying to fill your life up with “enough” and simply let God be enough for you?
Pastor Blake