When Abundance Becomes an Excuse

Last week, we talked about recognizing the abundance already around us—shifting from "I need more" to "I already have enough."

A thoughtful subscriber (Bianca P.) pushed back with this question:

"But then there is also 'the other side of the coin' that comes from the balance between recognizing abundance and complacency. Some people use the idea of abundance as an excuse to not strive to do better or improve what is in their power to improve. How do you see that?"

She's right. There's another side to abundance thinking.

The Rich Man's Trap

Jesus told a story about a wealthy farmer whose land produced an incredible harvest. The man's response?

"I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones to store all my grain and goods. Then I'll say to myself, 'You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.'"

God's response was swift: "You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you."

Here's what's fascinating: God didn't rebuke the man for being wealthy. He rebuked him for what wealth had done to his heart—it had made him lazy, self-focused, and complacent.

When I Lived This Parable

I've been that rich fool. After building multiple 8-figure businesses, I began prioritizing comfort and leisure. My wealth became my security blanket, and I stopped taking meaningful risks.

The result? Spiritual and creative atrophy. When you stop growing, you start dying—even if your bank account says otherwise.

I trusted my wealth above everything else (and it failed me). I built my life for ease and comfort (and it made me fragile). I was confused, having arrived, with actually living.

The Complacency Trap

Why do successful people get lazy? Three reasons:

1. We mistake outcomes for purpose. We believe that achieving the goal is the point, rather than who we become in the process. So when we "arrive," we stop moving.

2. We're terrified of failing publicly. When your identity becomes tied to your success, you start playing not to lose instead of playing to win—better to coast on yesterday's victories than risk today's failures.

3. We think comfort is the goal. Our culture sells us the lie that the point of success is never to be uncomfortable again. But comfort is where we go to die.

The Abundance Accountability Check

Here's how to tell if you've crossed the line from grateful abundance to lazy complacency:

Ask yourself:

• Am I using my resources to serve or to settle?

• Am I building bigger barns to store more, or to give more?

• Am I resting from the battle, or avoiding it altogether?

• What am I creating with my abundance besides comfort?

The hard truth: If you're not growing, you're dying. If you're not contributing, you're consuming. If you're not creating, you're just accumulating.

True Abundance in Action

Real abundance isn't about having enough to never work again—it's about having enough to work on what matters most.

The truly abundant don't hoard their gifts; they multiply them. They don't build barns to store treasure; they build platforms to share it. They don't retreat into comfort; they advance into contribution.

Your Move

How did this letter challenge you?

Take an honest inventory:

• Where have you gotten comfortable when you should be growing?

• What risks are you avoiding because you have "enough"?

• How are you using your abundance—to serve or to settle?

Remember: The goal isn't to accumulate wealth. It's to steward it. Not to arrive somewhere safe, but to be a wise risk-taker for the good of not only yourself but for others.

Your abundance isn't meant to be a retirement plan. It's meant to be utilized.

The question isn't whether you have enough.

It's what you're doing with what you have.

Much love,
Chris

P.S. - Next week, we'll dive into how to discover your true purpose when you feel stuck or unclear about your next move. Because clarity of calling is the best cure for complacency.