Can We Be Fulfilled In a Demanding World?

We live in a world today where we are judged by our accomplishments. We work hard towards achieving our goals so that we can cross them off of our list to feel accomplished and satisfied. But once a goal is crossed off, there will always be another goal that we will strive to complete. This list that we all have is never ending, and it continues to demand more of us. So can we be fulfilled in a demanding world? Can we experience a moment of complete satisfaction when there will always be more that requires of us? 

I'm an ambitious go getter girl who always needs my schedule to be filled from morning to night. Having nothing to do actually stresses me out more than having too much to do. But there was a moment in my life when God told me to let go of all my selfish desires, and when I say selfish, I mean desires that were meant to satisfy me, and not God. 

Slowly, God started to show me the things he wanted me to let go. It hurts, but I'm still in the process of surrendering myself to him. I had to let go of my music studio that I have developed for years, and I now have passed it on to my sister. 

Passing it on to my sister wasn't as bad because it didn't feel like I had completely let it go. But slowly, week by week, my students started quitting. On top of that, I was also loosing followers on my Instagram page. And while this was all happening, my brother and boyfriend got accepted to the college I wanted to go for my Masters. 

I couldn't draw any joy from my accomplishments because at the moment, I had none. 

My music studio and Masters were two things on my list that I wanted to check off as accomplishments, but those were the two things that God asked me to take off my list. I couldn't see how I could be fulfilled when I was constantly driven by my accomplishments and goals. 

Even after one goal was accomplished on my list, the need for more would eventually over take the fulfilling moment. 

However, in the midst of my distress I was reminded of the story of the Samaritan women in the well. She told Jesus that there was no way he could get her water because the well was too deep. But Jesus told her that he could give her water that would never make her thirst. He said to her in John 4:13-14, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst." 

It was at this moment when I realized that I was trying to satisfy myself with my accomplishments, drawing water from the well that was never made to satisfy me forever. God reminded me that I must draw from him, and not my accomplishments to be truly fulfilled. I had to dig in him to receive water that would never leave me thirsty - water that would fill me up with everlasting joy. 

When we dig up satisfaction from our own well of accomplishments, we will always find ourselves temporarily satisfied and thirsty for more. Jesus is the only one who can give us the permanent fulfillment we need in our lives. 

The Samaritan women said, "...the well is too deep" (John 4:11). If we try to satisfy ourselves by digging up water from our own well of accomplishments, we will find ourselves tired out because the well is too deep. Our list of accomplishments are too far and deep of reach to satisfy us, but Jesus is near and close to always satisfy us. 

What's even worse than temporary satisfaction is no satisfaction at all. And that was exactly what I was feeling, but God didn't give us life to experience temporary or no joy, he gave us life so that we may have full joy - and the only way to experience life to the fullest is to depend on God as our source of fulfillment.

Our accomplishments were never made to define us nor fulfill us. They were only made to bring us closer to God, so that we may be defined in Christ. Taking the path to a fulfilled life means sacrificing our flesh so that Christ may live in us (Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me..").

It is no wonder that I was feeling depressed because I was drawing on my accomplishments instead of God. James 4:8 says, "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you." God is never too far for you to draw from, and he is more than enough to satisfy you. Run to Jesus and draw from him; he will refresh you with love that will overwhelm you. God's love will give you a complete satisfaction that will not require more of you. Your accomplishments will never complete you, but God's love will complete you. So remember, you can be fulfilled in a demanding world.