"I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;nothing was gained under the sun." Ecclesiastes 2:10-11
It doesn't take much more than glancing at magazines at the checkout counter to see that people are obsessed with "having it all". Why else would so many of these publications be sold? Actors are idolized for their box office power regardless of their conduct off screen and women envied for their beauty and clothing. There seems to be this belief that those things can bring happiness. And isn't that what we're all searching for? True happiness?King Solomon had it all. He had wealth, wisdom, fame and power. Yet, when he looked back on everything he had obtained and accomplished he declared it all to be meaningless. He compared everything in life that he had acquired or done to be a chasing after the wind. Have you ever tried to catch the wind? Try grasping it with your hands. We can temporarily feel it as it passes but we will never be able to catch it or keep hold of it no matter how hard we try. I guess you could say that it is impossible. The same can be said of finding true happiness in anyone or anything apart from Jesus. In all our accomplishments, even the big ones, our feelings of happiness are temporary at best. There is nothing in this world that can offer lasting and eternal peace and contentment.
It's no wonder that so many "successful" people are drowning in depression and despair. After finally achieving the things that they believed would make them happy, they realize that it was all just a "chasing after the wind." The things of this world will never satisfy us. Hebrews 13:5 instructs us, "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.". That is the key to true happiness... the knowledge and faith to believe that God is always there. There is nothing in this world that can give us greater peace. Do you trust in that promise?
Heavenly Father, thank You for always being there and giving us everything we need to be content. May we realize that true happiness can be found in You alone and that everything else is like chasing after the wind. Help us to stay focused on You avoiding the influences of this world. May we find the peace we are longing for in Your presence. In Your precious name we pray Jesus, Amen.
Happy running!!!
www.team413.org
Be still my soul-Kari Jobe
No comments:
Post a Comment