Battle Lines: Never Enough
Aesop tells the story of a dog, having received a bone from a butcher, happily taking it home. Crossing a footbridge, he spotted his reflection in the water. Thinking it was another dog with a larger bone, he dropped his bone and jumped into the water to go after it. Of course, he lost his bone in his greed to get the one he imagined the “other” dog had.
The “never enough” syndrome has plagued humankind from the beginning. Satan whispered it into Eve’s ear amid the lush surroundings of the Garden of Eden. David looked past his wives and children and decided they were not enough as he lusted for Bathsheba. Judas had cast out demons and helped in feeding thousands, but finding even that not enough, when silver was offered, he struck a deal.
It happens every day when spouses who have pledged lifelong loyalty one day look at each other and decide their partner is not enough. It is what the sales force banks on, that though they sell you a smart phone today, they can convince you in a couple of years that it is not enough anymore, you must have the newest. Or the car. Or the house. Or the job. Or the appointment. Or the honor.
This is so much woven into our culture that the average consumer debt per American is over $104,000. The highest debt load is carried by adults between 20-50 years old, which is double that carried by those over 50. Credit card debt is the most damaging because so many just feel what they have is never enough. They must have more, even if they don’t really need it and know they really can’t afford it.
To be sure, desire is often legitimate. Children legitimately need the affection of their parents. Spouses need the ongoing love and support of each other. A starving person needs to satisfy his hunger. Athletes and others should have a healthy sense of competition as they strive for excellence and achievement. It is when it is desire on steroids, when it is addictive, when it is an end in itself that it becomes dangerous and destructive.
The question should not be, why shouldn’t I have it? A better question might be, why do I deserve it over anyone else? What right do I have to it? Will my having this bring honor to the Lord or distract me from Him? If I hold this in my hand, will I be able to say with Paul, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:11-13).
“Never enough” for the believer should be replaced by, “in Christ I always have enough.”