• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
  • Resources

Even If i Walk Alone

...this i choose to do.

Our Excess

December 21, 2017 by Tim Sherfy Leave a Comment

I was recently intrigued by a thought passing through my brain: “The excess I have belongs to those in need.” It’s not the most comfortable thought to consider. I like a little excess. I appreciate the peace and comfort it affords. Yet how can I hold onto more than I need when there are those in the world suffering in abject poverty? One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Proverbs 30:8 which says, “Give me just enough for today.”

our excess,comfort,security,faith,commitment,priorities,retirement,Proverbs 30:8,give me just enough for today,Matthew 6:9-12,our daily bread,Luke 12:16-21,store up treasures in barns,Acts 2:44-45,shared with anyone in need,had all things in common,Leviticus 23:22,don't glean to edges,Luke 18:18-23,rich young ruler

image © martinprague via Fotolia

The author states if he has too much, he will take it all for granted and forget God’s provision in his life. If he has too little, he may be tempted to steal to acquire what he needs. The sweet spot is having just enough for today. Any excess should be shared with others.


When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He told them to ask only for the day’s provision (Matthew 6:9-12). He didn’t tell His disciples to store up treasures in barns to secure their retirement. In fact, He taught against it (Luke 12:16-21). Knowing how fleeting life is, He taught us to only ask for today’s bread and be content with what was given. These days we seem to have forgotten His teaching. How else does one explain our propensity towards hoarding or our obsession with retirement planning? We don’t want just enough for today, we want enough for the rest of our lives, and we won’t stop focusing on it until we get it.

Once we have our daily bread, what should we do with the rest? We get clues, if not outright instruction, from Scripture. In the early church, everyone brought what they had and donated it to the community of believers. People then took from this pool what they needed for the day. They shared with anyone who had a need (Acts 2:44-45). In the Old Testament, God instructed His followers to not harvest everything from their fields, but rather leave the edges for those who were poor (Leviticus 23:22).

Of course, we also have the example of the rich young ruler (Luke 18:18-23). Here was a man who had kept all his excess for himself. What did Jesus tell him to do? Sell it all and give the proceeds to the poor. Many have tried to explain this away as being a situational instruction, not an overriding principle. I’m not so sure. Regardless, we get a sense of the heart of Christ. It’s not about holding onto what you have, it’s about giving it away.

I come back to my thought: The excess I have belongs to those in need. It’s about our heart, mostly. Are we holding so tightly to our money, time, possessions, comforts, and security we can’t be bothered to provide any of it to those less fortunate than ourselves? But it’s also about our actual time, money, and possessions. Are we perhaps being asked to give away far more than that with which we are comfortable? Do we trust God enough to supply our daily provision, or is it too much to ask or expect? Are we afraid of giving away our excess because we might need it someday? Are we so enamored with our possessions our greatest possession has lost His luster? Do we believe our excess belongs to those in need? Are we willing to prove it?

If you liked this, you may also enjoy...

  • Never Defenseless
  • Living on Mission
  • Giving Away Our Excess

Filed Under: Daily Life Tagged With: Acts, commitment, Faith, Leviticus, Luke, Matthew, possessions, Proverbs, selfishness, trust

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

FREE Email Updates

Get the latest posts right in your inbox! Enter your email address:

Tag Cloud

Acts commitment Discipleship Discipline Ephesians Faith Fear focus freewill gifts goals God's Kingdom God's will Hebrews humility I Corinthians II Corinthians I John I Peter Isaiah James John Kingdom of God Love Luke Mark Matthew mission Open Theism passion peace Philippians poverty prayer priorities Proverbs Psalms purpose Revelation Revolting Beauty Romans service surrender the church works

Calendar of Posts

December 2017
S M T W T F S
« Nov   Jan »
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
31  

Copyright © 2019 by Tim Sherfy