A.J. Brown is an All-Pro wide receiver with the Philadelphia Eagles, who recently won the Super Bowl. Reflecting on this wonderful accomplishment, Brown said:

“After a few days, I’ve had time to reflect on being a champion. I tried to feel how everyone made it seem to be a champion and unfortunately it was short-lived…two days to be exact lol. I never been a champion at the highest level before but I thought my hard work would be justified by winning it all. It wasn’t. My thrill for this game comes when I dominate. It’s the hunt that does it for me. It’s when the Db drops his head and surrender because he can’t mess with me. The intense battles. Early mornings. Late nights. Sacrifices. I love putting smiles on people’s faces, don’t get me wrong but it just wasn’t what I thought it would be. It’s the journey that I love the most. BACK 2 Work!”

I remember the words of Bob Myers, the former general manager of the Golden State Warriors. He said:

“People think winning a championship fixes everything. In fact, it doesn’t fix much. It doesn’t fix much of anything for anybody.”

Myers then presented an analogy. You are given a new Ferrari, the car you never thought you’d ever own in your lifetime. But then, all of a sudden, someone hands you the keys and tells you to enjoy the ride. The initial elation is indescribable, but then reality sets in. “So you drive it for a week or so, and you say, ‘Wait, this was supposed to solve all my problems.’”

I talked to a man recently who went on an exciting fishing trip with several of his friends. Approximately a week had gone by and I asked him if the thrill was still with him. He confided it is now just a memory that he will eventually forget.

The pleasure we experience and the objects we purchase bring initial delight, but never lasting satisfaction. This is the way God designed life. He reveals there is only one source of true satisfaction. It comes from His Lord.

“You open your hand and you satisfy the desire of every living thing.” Psalm 145:16

Satisfaction comes from the hand of God.

One of the best stories that validates this truth is the life of Lawrence Dutton, a member of the Emerson String Quartet, which is a wonderful classical music ensemble. He did all the right things – started playing early, went to Julliard, and had all the right accomplishments along the way. One year he and the quartet won two Grammy awards. It was a remarkable achievement, but Lawrence said that after the initial euphoria of the awards, he was deeply depressed for a time because he felt he’d done it all. How much higher could he jump?”

But then Dutton became a committed Christian, and everything changed for him. Though he won four more Grammys, they were inconsequential; he had found and drunk from the fountain of living water and experienced true satisfaction. A Grammy award remains a great honor to Lawrence Dutton, but he no longer looks for it to satisfy him.

Richard E Simmons III is the founder and Executive Director of The Center for Executive Leadership and a best-selling author. The Power of a Humble life is available in paperback, hardback and study guide on our website and on Amazon.