When Dreams Become Nightmares

November 8, 2026

I’ll say to myself, You have stored up plenty of goods, enough for several years. Take it easy! Eat, drink, and enjoy yourself. But God said to him, ‘Fool, tonight you will die. Now who will get the things you have prepared for yourself?’
~ Luke 12:19-20

_______________

How much is enough?

When do we know we have enough money, enough time, enough energy, enough friends, enough power or influence, enough of pretty much anything?

Some might argue that we have enough when our basic needs are met. When we are living within our means. But the ever increasing class divides in our world today paint a different picture. Society tends to elevate those like the landowner in Jesus’ parable, the ones who have accumulated far more than they could ever use.

The landowner seems disconnected from everything and everyone around him. He has far more than he can store and asks himself, “What will I do?” He doesn’t seek advice from others. He doesn’t consider the need around him. He almost comes across as a victim because he now has to invest in more storage space for all that he has hoarded.

Most of us never get to the place of saying we have stored up “enough.” We often feel like we are just one missed paycheck or one minor crisis away from losing everything. It would be easy to say then that this parable doesn’t really apply to us. We don’t see ourselves as rich, despite individually having more wealth than a large percentage of the world’s population. It’s all relative to our context and the cost of living where we are.

This parable isn’t just about being rich or poor. Jesus is addressing the deeper problem of greed, the insatiable desire to always have more. It’s his response to the belief that we never have enough.

What happens when we apply this principle to the church? Yes, we have bills to pay too. But how often do we feel like we can’t be effective in ministry because we don’t have enough money? How much is enough?

Whether as a church or as an individual, how much do we need to have in the bank account before we are comfortable enough to give some to the poor or to support our church or community?

It seems Jesus may be asking a different question. What good are all the things we have hoarded for ourselves if we are not “rich toward God”? In context, this parable in Luke sets up Jesus’ teachings on worry. Verse 34 comes full circle, reminding us that where our treasure lies, our heart will be also.

Weekly Practice: An Examen of Enough

Choose one space this week in your home and take notice of what you have not used in over a year. What is it for?

As you walk through the church this week, notice what we already have that sits unused.

What invitation might you be sensing from God regarding the things we have stored up on earth?