What Are You Relying on for Fulfillment?  

One day I noticed that a tire on my car looked like it could be a little low on air. No warning light had come up on my vehicle yet, but I thought I would go ahead and proactively take care of this potential problem. I mistakenly went to one of those machines outside a convenience store that is prominently labeled as a dispenser of air. After putting in my quarters, I connected the hose to my tire valve only to hear the hissing sound of air leaving my tire, but none being put back in. After several attempts, it was obvious that the hose wasn’t working properly. But even more frustrating was the fact that my efforts to solve the problem had only made it worse. Now a warning light was flashing. The machine that was supposed to fill my tire with air had actually only sucked more air out of it.

We often find a similar experience when we encounter the good-sounding promises of this world. We are assured that if we pursue these avenues we will find happiness, fulfillment, and success. Whatever it is that may be lacking in our lives, there are various dispensers around us clamoring for us to try them out as the answer to our deficiency. They promise us love, acceptance, wealth, power, fame, health, or any of a host of other attractive options. They assure us that if we will invest our time, emotion, money, and effort in that direction, we will be rewarded.

  In some cases, there may be some temporary benefits from those pursuits. However, in the end, whether immediately or in the long run, we will discover that those promises of this world fall short. They fail to satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts. They may put a bandage on the wound, but they don’t really heal the injury. And in many situations, like that faulty air hose I encountered, they actually make things worse. Instead of bringing us happiness, we experience heartache. Instead of fulfillment, we fall into despair. Instead of success, we hit rock bottom. We find out with the writer of Ecclesiastes that all such pursuits end up leaving us empty.

One of the ways they make things worse is by steering us away from the true source of those goals we desire to reach. As we invest our hopes, dreams, and efforts in these other things, we ignore God and the guidance He has given us for finding joy, fulfillment, and real success in this life and in eternity. We look for love in the wrong places, while overlooking the One who loves us more than anyone else ever could. While we are trying to get relief from the symptoms of our spiritual sickness, we refuse to consult the Great Physician who created us and knows exactly what can heal our souls. Or maybe we turn up our noses at the medicine He prescribes because of its initially bitter taste even though it will bring us health and happiness in the end.    

 What are you looking to and putting your trust in to supply what is lacking in your life? Don’t rely on the wrong things. Don’t fall for the false promises of this world. Don’t invest your affections and energy in the wrong direction. As an old song declares, “Only Jesus can satisfy your soul.” A new romantic relationship won’t do it. A promotion won’t do it. Winning the lottery won’t do it. Your team winning the championship won’t do it. Losing weight won’t do it.

Invest in pursuing a right relationship with the Lord. He can fill our hungering hearts with what we truly need.