“We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” ~ Frederick Keonig
How much is enough? This is a fundamental question asked by many financial planners. If you don’t know “how much is enough”, then you’ll never know when to be satisfied. This is also an essential question for every Christian leader to answer on their journey to success.
In order to determine “how much is enough”, you must first frame your life goals in the context of your beliefs and values. Secondly, all those in your inner circle of close family and team members must also be in agreement. Answering the question “how much is enough” is so crucial to finding satisfaction in life, that if you don’t determine the answer, you will experience trouble.
If you don’t clearly define what success looks like, your dissatisfaction can drive you into a frantic pursuit to just get and gain more. Life will feel empty and you will find yourself prone to take short cuts just to get ahead. Read carefully these words from the honest and humble prayer of Agur about this very topic:
O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die. First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name. (Proverbs 30:7-9 NLT)
I love the wisdom, personal insight and pure honesty of this prayer. Agur knew that his plans would have to align with God’s plans if he were to ever be truly satisfied. You can never be satisfied when you are in a contrary position to God’s will for you. Greed, pride, covetousness, lying and cheating can subtly infiltrate your motives and actions to derail your alignment with God’s best for your life.
Agur humbly confessed to God his vulnerability to get himself into a situation where he might lie, become prideful, cheat or steal. He knew that finding the “sweet spot” of being satisfied was the key to staying true to who he was.
As a Christian leader, it is crucial for you to approach God with the same humility as Agur did with this prayer. Consider making this prayer your prayer today. What is your “sweet spot of satisfaction” that would allow you to feel fulfilled in your journey to success?
When enough is enough, then everything extra is more than enough. This is the beginning of a generous lifestyle that will bring a greater sense of satisfaction and fulfillment than you ever thought possible. If you haven’t done so already, let me encourage you to take time today to define what “enough is enough” means to you.