Sacrificing the “Finer”

“And he said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”” – Luke 12:15

This week has been especially draining, what with the energy in the country being so tense. As many with a voice of influence has been stating which side of Black Lives Matter they stand on, I have been forced to look at who I keep in my life and who I’m better off without. Who adds to my positive energy and who drains me of it. In addition to that I (and many people like me) have been looking at what companies I want to keep investing my money in. It is important to me that the people I do business with value my right to live the life God has designed for me. That being said, I can’t turn on the tv, scroll through Facebook, or even talk to my friends without business after business bringing to my attention where they stand when it comes to the value they place on Black lives and Black dollars. It’s a long list and the country is definitely divided. I won’t speak for anyone else, but for me it’s important to take this stand and that means I may have to give up a few luxuries.

That’s tough. In order to maintain my mental health and to be Satisfied with the quality of life I’ve been afforded, I have to have peace. I know you all probably know what that feels like. Have you cut back on dairy because of lactose intolerance? Maybe you switched banks or phone companies because the customer service just wasn’t there. Have you picked up a diet that means you have to spend more on groceries so maybe you can’t take as many vacations as before. Or maybe, like me, you want to be valued by every company you spend money with so you don’t spend where you’re not wanted. Making a choice to be Satisfied often comes with some disappointments. But those disappointments don’t have to be permanent. What do I mean by that? The bible says “…one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” (Luke 12:15) That means your life is not measured by the number of things you have.

Before that it talks about covetousness, which is envy. Wanting what others have. Being Jealous of other people. But being covetous can go deeper than that. Sometimes we covet what we THINK we should have or where we think we should be. We base this on a number of things, but the nutshell of it is wanting more, sometimes when you have less. But I’ll tell you what isn’t covetous: wanting different, so you can have better. It’s ok to make a change if it’s going to benefit your greater good. If I want a better quality of life, then I may have to go about it differently than before. I may have to sacrifice my favorite fast food, or store, or brand of ice cream, if it means showing these companies that my life is more important than my dollar.

But sacrificing is hard! Sometimes we don’t want to make sacrifices. Sometimes we want to get the ice cream sundae because we “worked hard” on the diet all week, or we reached a weight loss goal. Sometimes we want to buy the bag because we got a huge payout on a project. We have the money for it and the means to get it, but what is our greater good? Peace of mind. And while eating that Sundae, or buying that bag, may feel good in the moment… if it’s preventing you from reaching your bottom line of Satisfaction, is it worth it? Is it worth it for me to have the product if I’m not valued in the end? For me, it definitely isn’t.

So how do we sacrifice for Satisfaction? You have to remember your end goal. If my goal is to pay of certain bills, I have to limit my luxury shopping. If my goal is to lose weight, I have to say no to the sugary treats. And if my goal is to make a statement about the power of my dollar, I have to stick to it full force. Consistency is key. I tell my clients all the time that practicing something is what makes it easier. It won’t become a habit until you make it a habit. And when something is a habit, it stops being a sacrifice and becomes a way of life. If you cut sugar out of your life long enough your body will stop craving it. It will be Satisfied with whatever you give it. If you give yourself a spending limit that’s lower than you’re used to, eventually the new number becomes what you’re used to. You will be Satisfied with it. And if I only spend my money in a certain places, eventually I won’t remember what it was like to shop elsewhere. I’ll be Satisfied with where I’m at.

In short, Satisfaction comes from sacrificing to a new normalcy. Life isn’t valued by quantity, but quality. A life of quality is much better than one filled with quantity.