top of page

True Fulfillment




“But our besetting temptation is to glorify self: to live life as if we were the center of the universe, as if the enhancement of our reputation were a meritorious pursuit, and as if our contentment were the greatest good of the cosmos. That is why every believer must continually be confronted with the demand that God be honored as God.” – John MacArthur


Culture appeals heavily to our comfort, our entitlement, our happiness. If the room temperature is cold, we adjust it. If our clothes are itchy, we change. If our food is dry, we add dressing. If we do not like our room, we redecorate it. We are professional fixers. We are quick to mend whatever is lacking. But should we be this way?


Our contentment is not the “greatest good of the cosmos”. This relieves pressure. Although it may seem we are supposed to please ourselves from the moment we wake up, we’re not. It is not that we are supposed to make our lives miserable, that the more miserable we are, the Lord is pleased. Rather, it is remembering who we are, and who God is. Your life and my life must continuously honor God. He deserves to be loved and praised with everything that we are. If we truly believe He is the Creator of the universe, then our lives should reflect it.


One of the greatest ways we praise Him is by loving others. Jesus came to be a servant. We are supposed to live as Christ. Therefore, we are to be servants “thinking of others as better than yourselves.” (Phil. 2:3) A servant is not preoccupied with their own feelings and emotions. They are constantly on the lookout for who they can help and how they can serve. Jesus said, “The greatest among you will be your servant.” (Matt 23:11)


Let’s say you are having an off day: you embarrassingly behind in school and you’re about to be kicked off the sports team due to bad grades, your friends are being oversensitive and literally did not invite you to a party, and your mom is mad at you. To make matters worse, it rained on your way to class, and your hair was completely ruined for picture day. All you can think about is curling up with your favorite snack and catching up on the series you’ve been watching. Forget people; you need a cozy blanket! All of a sudden, your friend is stuck in their burning house. You are their only chance of escape. When you rush to save them, the last thing on your mind would be whether you felt “up to it.” That is because when our eyes are on others, our hardships become smaller and smaller. When our focus is not on our personal comfort or even our social reputation, we are free to step out and help people.


When you walk into a room, your instinct should not be “here I am” but “there you are”. As we shift our mindset, we find that our contentment becomes less of a priority, and we actually feel less aches and pains. We were meant to live for God, working out His will and His kingdom. When we do, we will find ourselves happy and content because we are living out our true purpose in life. This is truly the key to fulfillment.


_

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:35


“'For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:35-40


“If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment.” Job 36:11

1 comment

1 commentaire


Judy Hartley
Judy Hartley
13 mars 2022

I love your depth of insight. Please keep sharing!

J'aime
bottom of page