Maureen Dowd once stated that “the minute
you settle for less than you deserve, you get less than you settle for.” In the
United States today this message is believed and practiced. Businessmen to
career women run the rat race of life trying to achieve their financial,
educational, or fame goals. They put forth determined effort, stay focused, and
conquer the odds and all the obstacles they meet. They climb the ladder of
success and leap over the mountains of difficulty. With sweat, blood, toil and
tears they trudge the warzone of life with their eye on the goal.
Picture a young man who has grown up in
a poverty stricken slum. He rarely gets a complete meal and is determined to
get rich when he gets older so that he will not have to go through this same
drudgery. As he gets older, he excels in school. After graduation, he lands a
high paying job which he leaves after three years to devote all of his time to
his own business endeavors. The young man achieves wealth and fame over the
years of his toil! But. . . .in the midst of all that he has achieved, he
pridefully comes to look down on those who grew up in the slums like him. He
will not hire the many who come to him from that region for he doesn’t trust
them and he ends up dying a bitter, Ebenezer Scrooge of a man.
In contrast to the final state of the
aforementioned young man there is another young man with similar humble
beginnings who one day in his early childhood had a life changing experience.
He accepted Jesus Christ into his heart. As grew older, he devoted his life to
grow closer to the Lord and to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness
(Matthew 6:33).” He experienced a love for God and a love for others flowing
out of his life. The man was never wealthy, but was generous and held
everything that he had with an open hand. When he died, this young man had a smile
on his face despite the horrendous pain he was suffering. In fact, his last
words were “Praise be to the Lord! He has blessed me so abundantly!”
Both stories present a stark contrast
to each other. The purpose of theses stories was to show the futility of Mrs.
Dowd’s statement. The young man in the first story never settled for less than
he thought he thought He deserved/needed (wealth), but the young man in the
second put everything else second to knowing his Lord. Contentment is a quality
which far surpasses the illusion of wealth. In fact, without contentment wealth
is worthless and a curse—it cannot be enjoyed. I think of the young mothers who
made a decision to give up their career and stay home with their children.
Years after that decision, and the trials and hardships of raising those kids,
those women were much happier and contented in life than those women who
continued in their career. I also think of families. Families which are closely
knit experience a love and affection much deeper than those who are out
competing in the marketplace all the time. The demeanors of those who love
spending time with their family tend to be more patient and wise. They give you
straight answers to your questions and if the conversation is too long tell you
they need to go because they have an appointment with their family. But those
out chasing what they thing they deserve, never “settle” to enjoy the
relationships in life.
The minute you settle for less than you
deserve, you will begin a journey where you will reap more than you would have
pushing for a goal. Now, goals are not bad and neither is doing your very best
in everything you do, but true contentment and lasting happiness with people
and with your God are so much more rewarding than a goal or wealth or whatever
else you won’t “settle for less” on.
