We all have a sense of longing in life and to achieve great accomplishments. We want our homes and families to be happy. We desire the best for our children. We want to have money; lots of it so we need not worry about the future. We ultimately wish for the easiest life possible because we think if we attain all this it is going to make us completely happy and satisfied; nothing lacking & nothing wanting.It is a human response to want many of the things given above. I agree, I want to achieve some of the these things on this list - do you? There is nothing wrong in wanting good things for our lives, however, will they ultimately curb our longing for something more satisfying?
Studies have suggested that winning the lottery does not help with our long term happiness. Short term, there is euphoria but after an amount of time, everyday activities that were once enjoyed by the person become mundane and they start to live up to their new level of living. It's not really giving the person deep satisfaction but an ever growing pursuit for more (known as hedonic adaptation).
Many things in this world give us short lived happiness. No matter what we attain, deep down in our hearts their is a deep desire for something so much more! I've heard it said that even our children are only given to us as a gift for a short time to nurture and care for until they fly the nest! Obviously, we will always be parents and love our children whatever age but the family unit will ultimately one day change.
Even if we had everything we could ever want, would it honestly satisfy us, would we be truly happy & satisfied or would we just want more and more? I don't know the answer but it's good to ask it. What and who is going to fill our longing above all other things and why is it important? We certainly become more happy when we know a deeper purpose. Can we even know a deeper purpose?
Let's hope it not so, but for arguments sake let's imagine everything we value is gone, our spouce, our jobs, our money, where does our satisfaction and value come from? What if we don't have any of these things? Are we going to sink into despair and depression? May be we aren't married or have a partner, may be we don't have trusted family members and may be we have broken friendships. Is there still value or meaning to our lives when we are down to nothing?
As a Christian myself, the bible tells us that Jesus came so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus said, "My purpose here is to give you a rich and satisfying life". Wow, there must be something in this - God wants to give us the most satisfying life. If we have everything or down to nothing we can find ultimate purpose and meaning - I love this! Psalm 34 v 10 says; Young lions lack and go hungry, but those who seek the Lord will never lack any good thing. When our souls are tired, God can pick us up again.
Knowing God gives us purpose and meaning, despite our worldly failures and fantasies, we can have a deep meaning and satisfaction beyond things this world can ever offer us. Certainly, we can live a life that has a greater cause than just our own. It becomes about God and about loving others, this includes obviously our families and friends. A quote I love from a well known worship leader put it like this, "What does it mean to be a history maker, it's not about our riches, talents or anything else we can attain, but about our hearts; its about honouring our friends above ourselves, loving our families and walking humbly with the King of Kings". It's about unfailing love! When Jesus died on the cross, God was saying, look I am doing this for you, I love you more than anything and want to build a relationship with you, it's not just religion that doesn't mean anything, it's a real life that you can live. If I created the world, then I know what you need to live a full life and that is to be in communion with me. Psalm 23, 5-6 says; My cup completely overflows with blessing, and God your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life.
This Easter as we remember the cross, don't forget the person on the cross; Christ. Everything was done in order for us to live a great life with meaning and satisfaction, yes even when we are down to nothing, God is ever present with us. Even when we face death, nothing, absolutely nothing can separate us from God's love - now that is true satisfaction.
Romans 5 6-10
