Well… to start this post let’s throw this out. I haven’t seen “enough”.
There’s an old saying where I come from – “enough is never enough for a man who don’t know what enough looks like.” I didn’t quite get it as a boy, but years in uniform taught me the truth in those words.
There’s a fine line between being content and being complacent. From the backroads of Alabama to the bow of a Coast Guard cutter, I’ve learned the hard way that one brings peace and the other brings pain.
I read a story where a team had a mission in Afghanistan where they had run several successful patrols in a row. No contact. It would’ve been easy to say, “We’ve got this,” and let their guard down.
One evening, a young specialist skipped a full gear check because “it’s just another recon.” Nothing happened that night – but the next day, same route, different result. IED hit their lead vehicle.
Nobody died, but the wake-up call was loud and clear: the moment you think you’ve arrived is the moment you start to fall behind. That’s complacency. It disguises itself as confidence but often comes wrapped in laziness or arrogance.
Complacency says, “Good enough.”
Contentment says, “Thank You, Lord, for where I’m at – but I’m still listening.”
Growing up watching my Dad, I learned that contentment isn’t about settling. It’s about peace in your purpose. You can still have fire in your belly and drive in your bones, but contentment keeps you grounded. It’s knowing who you are, whose you are, and trusting the process.
Paul wrote in Philippians 4:11-13:
“…I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances… I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.”
What’s unbelievable is that he wrote those words from a prison cell. No steak dinners or soft beds. And still, he said he had enough.
That’s not weakness — that’s strength most men never reach.
So What’s the Difference?
Complacency is standing still and calling it progress. Contentment is being still and knowing God is in control. Complacency forgets the fight. Contentment fuels it — with faith.
If you’re always chasing “more” — more rank, more money, more recognition — be careful. That hunger can turn you hollow. But if you’ve grown passive, just drifting, calling it “peace,” check yourself too. You might be stuck in a rut, not resting in God.
So here’s my challenge:
Stay humble. Stay hungry. Know the difference.
Enough is never enough if you’re chasing the wrong things.
But when you’re walking in your purpose – pushing forward – that’s when “enough” becomes more than plenty.
And don’t forget to check your gear. Always!
torreygarrison 