Former Blackout Artist

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Hebrews 13:5

“Do we really need all of those wooden spoons?” she asked. I was very direct in my reply. “‘We’ don’t need any of them, because ‘you’ don’t cook. But yes – ‘I’ need them! Leave them alone!”

Later that evening, I checked the history on YouTube and sure enough – my wife had once again binge watched several videos from some crazy lady in Idaho who has convinced her that a “minimalist” lifestyle is the secret to a happy, successful life. “Everyone’s doing it!” Pfft….

You see, I’m the head chef of the family. And although I sometimes lament that fact, most of the time I actually enjoy cooking. And although I’m nowhere near my mother’s level of cooking (God rest her soul), I think I do alright. My mom did teach me a few things in her kitchen over the years.

So… the kitchen is my office, my workspace. I don’t go upstairs to her office and start “decluttering.” I’d never hear the end of it!

I say all of these things half jokingly. She and I have this little “thing” between us that is mostly lighthearted banter. But every once in a while, it gets a little serious. Like the wooden spoons deal. Of course I need them. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have them!

But it did get me to thinking: what truly is enough?

The author of Hebrews gives us something to consider. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have. And then (assuming the author is a man) he gives us the reason why. Because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.

In other words, You can trust Me. But what does that look like, this “being content?”

It makes me think of a quiet steadiness. Not a life without goals or desires, not that at all… but rather a settled heart that isn’t constantly seeking security in attaining “more.” Enjoying what we have, without mentally upgrading it all the time. I think that’s getting close.

I think of loosened hands. We have money and possessions – but we hold them without clinging to them. We’re able to give and to share without expecting anything in return or feeling like something’s being taken from us.

I think of a sense of gratitude that shows up in small moments. Maybe it’s a meal, or a conversation, or maybe just a quiet, peaceful evening. Few things are more content, for me anyway, than a few hours and a good book. But do I welcome and receive those moments as “enough” for today, part of my daily bread?

And there’s definitely a sense of freedom from being driven by money. Yes, we still go to work, provide, and maybe even plan for summer vacations… but money isn’t tied to our identity or our security. There’s no obsession with gaining or fear of losing. That’s freedom. I think even Dave Ramsey would agree with that.

Lastly… I don’t think contentment is possible without honesty. We still have needs and desires that we acknowledge and bring before God. But underneath that honesty is still something deeper, something that anchors us. And that’s knowing that we’re not alone. God has told us, “Never will I leave or forsake you.”

Ultimately, I think contentment isn’t found in having enough… it’s found in realizing that we are never without Him.