Breakfast at Tiffany’s: I’m done

BY AARON GRAVETT

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 1 Timothy 6:6-7

Have you ever reached a point when you say, “I’m done?” I’m not meaning done with life, but done with the rat race—the striving to achieve more, to be more, to be heard more, and trying to leave an impact.

It’s like a big boat that is filling with water and the only thing you have to get the water out is a thimble. Life sometimes gets to the point that you try and try and try but feel like no one is really listening and your trying is making no impact. 

Now as Christians, we will continue to proclaim the gospel of Christ and the great truth of the word of God; never be done with that because God’s word will never go out void. What I’m talking about here is the striving to make a difference in the marketplace of life. Sometimes we just get tired of trying in so many areas and seeing little to no progress. So, what’s the answer?

The first thing to do when it comes to ambition—the desire to make an impact and a difference—is learn to be content. Contentment is such a foreign concept in our world because the thought is that you must always be striving for more and more.

My dad was the example of contentment in my life until I met Tiffany. They share much of the same traits in that way. My dad never complained about the situations of life he found himself in—not to mention the last seven years of his life fighting cancer. They ended up being the best seven years of his life and the best seven years of our relationship.

We need to embody contentment because that is where we find rest from strife. Paul admonished Timothy, “And having food and raiment let us be therewith content” (1 Timothy 6:8). Within the historical context of this passage, this would probably have meant one small snack in the morning, a decent meal in the evening, and one to two pairs of clothes. That’s it. Think about our first world lives and how God has blessed us with so much more than that—yet most of us still aren’t satisfied.

Sometimes, especially as a man, it’s hard to accept that concept because this world places a man’s identity in what he does and the successes he achieves. God’s measure of a man, however, is who he is in Him.

So, when it comes to striving and pushing and trying to make a mark—it’s okay to be “done.” It’s okay to just be.

Now, when it comes to the gospel of Christ—the great salvation we have in Him and sharing the truth of God’s word—continue to be obedient in what God has called you to do. 

The frustration comes with expecting a certain outcome. This frustration can cause stress and a sense of failure. Instead, focus on being obedient—not on the results. The results are up to God anyway. It’s all in His hands.

Let God take your “I’m done” and turn it into “well done.”

“His Lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Matthew 25:21).