Not too little, not too much - just enough! What an excellent principle to live by. The proverb expresses fear that 'too much' will alienate one from God while 'too little' could lead one to crime and sin. And this is the problem of our world today: in our prosperity, we forget God, while in our want we grow bitter.

Choosing to be content with 'enough' would do much to heal our world and ensure that all have enough. We pray for God to give us this day our daily bread, not more. Being content and grateful with 'enough' in every aspect of our everyday life is an excellent spiritual practice.

As the apostles set out on their mission, they take absolutely nothing with them - but in another scene, they have more than enough. Jesus gave them power and authority over evil and illness. Their mission is to prepare the way for the coming of God's reign, and they do that by healing and giving hope. Basically, it is the same mission that we have. We are not here just to worry about our own souls, but to participate in God's work on behalf of humanity.

There will be those who are not interested in our efforts or the message that we bear. We should not be upset or discouraged, but just move on and bring the good news to those who will receive it. And the good news is something that we preach more by our actions than by our words. Words are easy; to love and serve without counting the cost is far more convincing.