A mystery of the world is when a man who is at the top, who’s had it all – riches, fame, power, success, fulfilment – say they aren’t really happy. Some of them commit suicide, some of them take drugs to forget their “emptiness”, some of them keep on hopping from relationship to relationship just to fill that “empty” feeling.
Why do rich people still feel empty?
I wrote an article about “Getting there” looking at the example of king Solomon. He had it all but still he says that it’s all a chasing after the wind. He says that it is all “senseless” and “worthless” and “unfair”. Imagine that – what a paradox coming from the most powerful man during his time.
Why? What is the source of this “emptiness” what is the origin of this “empty” feeling?
Romans 3:23
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
We have “fallen short” of His glory because of our sins. Because of this, our fulfilment will always “fall short” of what we want it to be. The little empty feeling that we “feel” but we don’t understand so therefore we cannot fulfil, is an emptiness created by our “falling short” of His glory.
We somehow missed the mark and strayed away from what is right and that created a void in ourselves that we try to fill with so many things the world promises can fill it. Don’t you ever wonder why advertising is so powerful? Because it caters to THAT EXACT VOID THAT YOU FEEL IN YOURSELF!
It tells you that you will find fulfilment, complete happiness, that’s why you have to buy their product. To some extent, it can provide that sense of fulfilment and happiness, but it will soon run because these things are temporary and will pass away. The void in us is something that only God, our maker, designer and purpose-giver, who is eternal can fulfill.
How can God fulfil that void?
Imagine a watch, having its own feeling and its own sense of reason and logic and free will. How will it give full glory to its maker? By letting the maker use it completely to its purpose through its own will. The watch can only find complete and true happiness when it is functioning exactly as it was designed to be otherwise, if it chooses to be a hammer then it will break itself, if it chooses to be a Frisbee then it will shatter at some point, if it chooses to be a paper-weight then it will render itself useless – MAKING ITSELF UNHAPPY, UNFULFILLED and making it’s maker DISAPPOINTED. FALLING SHORT OF THE MAKER’S GLORY.
Think about it.
Fulfilment can only come from being the best you can be, right? And what does the Bible say about our purpose? To give God glory. I pray that giving Him glory in everything you do will be your goal in each and every thing you do – big or small even if you think it doesn’t matter, it does. Believe me, “Getting there” Is all about giving God glory because He in return will be the one to glorify you as He pleases – and that is eternal.
