Contentment
I've been reading a book most of the evening. I'm not going to tell you which one, because I haven't finished it yet, and I don't want to recommend something that disappoints in the end. There is nothing more annoying than a book that asks you just the right questions to get you hungry for answers and doesn't really provide good answers. (Right, Rob Bell?)
The chapter I just finished was on satisfaction of the soul. I've been kind of empty lately and relying on a lot of outside resources to keep me going. Some of them are perfectly good sources of encouragement and some are exactly the opposite. They all fill that hole temporarily, but they are weak, or they are destructive. The author of this book insists firmly that one of the gifts of a relationship with God is a full, satisfied soul. That's right, no soul hunger.
What has two thumbs and is cynical of that principle? THIS GIRL! I am so cynical of that point that I wrote a song once that included the line, "Is your love REALLY all I need?" I have a lot of hunger pangs in my soul. It's very hard for me to believe sometimes that an invisible God can fill all of those voids perfectly...with Himself.
Did you see that part? WITH HIMSELF. Its not saying that God can provide everything you need to feel like you have a full life. He can. But, it's saying, that the longings we have on Earth are never going to be filled by the things we long for. They are only going to be fully satisfied with God.
I have a lot of friends who pine for things. They pine for husbands, wives, kids, jobs, different husbands, different wives, different kids, different jobs, Lack of husbands, lack of wives, lack of kids and lack of jobs. lol. that was a fun sentence to write. They all firmly believe that their emptiness is a result of not having the thing for which they pine.
But this book insists that that is a lie. You can think that thing or situation or ideal is what will satisfy you. Physical hunger has taught us that response...Feel hungry? Stuff your face!! But only God will fill soul emptiness.
I hope you're not looking for answers on how to make that happen from this blog. lol.
The only thing I'm here to tell you about tonight is the fact that whatever that THING is you're pining over is NOT going to fill it. In fact, I'd bet a thousand bucks that when you DO get it, you'll be disappointed and pining again shortly thereafter. Nothing will fill it but a relationship with God. (if youre about to say, but I love Jesus and I'm still carrying that empty feeling, well, dang, thats still a couple chapters off in the book, so, patience child.)
I'll leave you with this...
The things of this earth are like Chinese food. You might crave them, and they sometimes taste nice, but you'll eat them and be hungry again shortly after.
The chapter I just finished was on satisfaction of the soul. I've been kind of empty lately and relying on a lot of outside resources to keep me going. Some of them are perfectly good sources of encouragement and some are exactly the opposite. They all fill that hole temporarily, but they are weak, or they are destructive. The author of this book insists firmly that one of the gifts of a relationship with God is a full, satisfied soul. That's right, no soul hunger.
What has two thumbs and is cynical of that principle? THIS GIRL! I am so cynical of that point that I wrote a song once that included the line, "Is your love REALLY all I need?" I have a lot of hunger pangs in my soul. It's very hard for me to believe sometimes that an invisible God can fill all of those voids perfectly...with Himself.
Did you see that part? WITH HIMSELF. Its not saying that God can provide everything you need to feel like you have a full life. He can. But, it's saying, that the longings we have on Earth are never going to be filled by the things we long for. They are only going to be fully satisfied with God.
I have a lot of friends who pine for things. They pine for husbands, wives, kids, jobs, different husbands, different wives, different kids, different jobs, Lack of husbands, lack of wives, lack of kids and lack of jobs. lol. that was a fun sentence to write. They all firmly believe that their emptiness is a result of not having the thing for which they pine.
But this book insists that that is a lie. You can think that thing or situation or ideal is what will satisfy you. Physical hunger has taught us that response...Feel hungry? Stuff your face!! But only God will fill soul emptiness.
I hope you're not looking for answers on how to make that happen from this blog. lol.
The only thing I'm here to tell you about tonight is the fact that whatever that THING is you're pining over is NOT going to fill it. In fact, I'd bet a thousand bucks that when you DO get it, you'll be disappointed and pining again shortly thereafter. Nothing will fill it but a relationship with God. (if youre about to say, but I love Jesus and I'm still carrying that empty feeling, well, dang, thats still a couple chapters off in the book, so, patience child.)
I'll leave you with this...
The things of this earth are like Chinese food. You might crave them, and they sometimes taste nice, but you'll eat them and be hungry again shortly after.
Comments