Be contented and avoid the debt trap

We are challenged on every side day by day to have enough resources to live our days on earth. There always seems to be an expense here and there.  We resort to debt to help cover for those things, and sometimes it is easy to access consumer debt like credit cards and that small unsecured overdraft.  All too dangerous and becomes a stronghold.  The writer of Ecclesiastes makes an interesting observation.

Ecclesiastes 5:12

The sleep of a laboring man is sweet,

Whether he eats little or much;

But the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep.

There is comparison made here between the rich and the poor. One has much but has difficulty enjoying the wealth that he has. The other has little but sleeps well. But the chapter ends by saying enjoy what you have.  The problem with man is that once you have enjoyed much (in your "rich" life) it is difficult to reduce.

As I reflect on this I sense that the message is to be contented. There is no way to say what is enough. Everything is enough. We must be thankful for what we have.

Father, I am thankful for what I have.  I am contented.