Neither Too Much Nor Too Little — Scripture Reflection #015

Mark 10:20-22 (New Living Translation)

20 “Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.” 21 Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” He told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 At this, the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Have you ever noticed how money or possessions may have gotten in the way of your relationship with God? Perhaps having a job has allowed you to believe that your provision comes from your paycheck. Or maybe living in a comfortable house has led you to believe that your safety is found in the roof above your head.

The wealthy man in today’s scripture shows us that our blessings can sometimes get in the way of our faith in God. When told to give away everything he owned, the man had trouble parting with his possessions because he was greatly attached to them. He chose what he had over a life with Jesus.

On the other hand, we see the author of Proverbs 30, Agur, hold a different mindset. His prayer was that God give him neither too much nor too little, but just enough to satisfy his needs (Proverbs 30:8-9). His rationale was that if he had too much, he might deny God because he “had everything he needed”. And if he had too little, he might steal and go against God’s commandments. If only the wealthy man in today’s story had the same mindset about his possessions, we might have seen him make the better choice.

Let’s adopt the mindset of Agur and pray that God gives us exactly what we need so that our trust in Him is our priority.