Have you noticed that reaching success often leads to pursuing the next goal? How long after you got the cat you spent your childhood dreaming about did you start envisioning a second pet or going back to a pet-free lifestyle? Things of this world will never satisfy.
You aren’t going to be endlessly, blissfully happy when you find that job or get that relationship or buy that thing. A new job will prove to be just as broken as your current one, true relationships have problems (1 Corinthians 7:28), and the thrill of a new acquisition will inevitably fade to a desire for something else.
We as human beings were created to be worshipers, yet our capacity is so much bigger than something we could gain on earthly terms. Only God can fill the void in our souls, the void that sends us searching for something that will satisfy, and ultimately reminds us that earth is not our home.
“Whom have I in heaven but you?
-Psalm 73:25-26
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
Ironically, the strains of everyday life are ripples of grace. The brokenness reminds us that we were created for more than what we can see and feel. If Earth was perfect, why would we want to go to Heaven? If I were able to get a grip on my sin nature, why would I need a Savior?
Jesus is the only One you can fill up with and be content. His Word does not return void, being still amidst His creation does bring peace (Psalm 46:10, Psalm 19:1). Our identity, security, and fulfillment are not in this world but the next.
Be grateful
Practically, you can still your heart and find peace in Christ by taking account of what you have. Think about dreams and desires you’ve had throughout your life. That cat you wanted as kid, to be able to drive yourself around in high school, a key to your own place after college… How many of those desires have been met?
Do you see how far God’s brought you? Seasons of strain and stress have dissolved into a reality your younger self couldn’t have dreamed of but you are now living. In the way His will is completely unforeseen but perfectly fitting, there is no such thing as a prayer with an expiration date.
Find your fulfillment in Christ
It sounds like mirrors and fog, but finding satisfaction in Christ is as true a reality as anything else you can experience on this side of Heaven. Often it takes trials and tribulations to draw our hearts closer to Him and make us men and women of God, but a humble heart seeking His presence is also fertile ground.
Saturate yourself in His word, bathe your mind in God-glorifying music, and surround yourself with people who point you back to Him. In turning your mind’s eye upon Him, there will be little to no desire to reach for and grab things outside of His will.
Abbah. Do you understand your inheritance? Something that makes the greatest times leavable and the hardest times bearable.
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