Enough

Jesus loved to challenge his disciples, and those challenges still rest with us today. So what does the Kin-dom of God look like? A mustard seed. A mustard seed is not very impressive. It is more common and underwhelming than the glorious kingdom, spoken by the prophets of old. Unlike the cedar tree, the mustard plant is a weed, and it does not rise so high that it may topple and fall. It remains lowly, like a King who enters a city riding on a donkey, who comes not to be served but to serve, and who humbles himself to take the form of a servant.

For Jesus the Kin-dom is not built on having it all, but giving your all. It’s a Kin-dom where shortage gives way to plenty. It’s a Kin-dom rooted in washing another’s feet, kneeling by the stranger wounded on the side of the road. It’s a Kin-dom where enough becomes more, and the world is forever changed. 

In 1895, Civil War veteran, former governor of Indiana, and minister of Wabash Christian Church, died leaving his widow and four small children. Rhoda Jane Castle Chase his wife and mother of his children was nearly blind after contracting smallpox while serving as a nurse in the war, and she was unable to care for her family after Ira died. One of his parishioners, A.M. Atkinson saw the need, and wished to do something. He set out to collect money to provide a yearly income for Mrs. Chase and her family. She only took the money with the caveat that upon her death, $1000 would go into a fund that would take care of ministers and their families in times of death and disability. That gift started the Board of Ministerial Relief, which has evolved into the Pension Fund of the Christian Church as we know it today. Over its 125 years of existence, it has given away tens of millions of dollars in ministerial relief and assistance. A seemingly small gift, which was enough, has made a significant impact in the lives of many. 

Many great things start out small. Just enough becomes abundance. Like a mustard seed, the Kin-dom of God starts off small and grows. It takes root. It invades our lives and reminds us that we are enough and that we have enough. When we recognize and claim that as our truth, we shift our mindset from scarcity to abundance. 

When we choose abundance, it will result in more for the people who need it. When we choose abundance, the world lives into the Kin-dom of God. So, let’s have the courage to make the right choice, for there is enough among us to make it happen, and it all begins with us!