And I—in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness. – Psalm 17:15
I like to think I’m a fairly simple man who doesn’t need much to keep me satisfied. I don’t run out after the latest models of most anything and still struggle to catch up and live in the 21st century. I drive a 1996 GMC pickup I’ve had for over ten years and I don’t have internet on my non-iPhone phone. I recently purchased my first TV, without 3D (do I hear gasps?) and would I rather read a good book that watch anything related to a reality show where in reality, the percentage of most people in any given setting aren’t that good looking.
What does it take to be satisfied in this life? How much is enough? When John D. Rockefeller, the noted billionaire and founder of Standard Oil, was asked how much money was enough, he famously replied, “Just a little bit more.” I don’t think Mr. Rockefeller was speaking just for himself; I think he was speaking for people all over the world. For most of us, the more we have the more we spend, so having “just a little bit more” becomes a way of life, not just a greedy aphorism spoken by a long-dead billionaire.
What is satisfaction? When will I sit back and say, “This is it. This is the good life. I’ve worked hard all my life to be here. There is nothing more I want, nothing more I desire”? Will I say that when I’m debt free with a million dollars in the bank? Will I say that when the kids and grandkids all live within walking distance of my house and I can spend all my leisure time going to their ball games and school plays? Will I say that when my next book sells 100,000 copies in the first week and I make the cover of Christianity Today and I’m invited to speak all over the world and share my massive knowledge about life and God?
Probably not.
So what will satisfy me? When will I get to the point where just a little bit more is no longer the goal? Continue Reading
