Heartbeatنموونە

We give our time, effort, and energy to a lot of things on a daily basis.  We can try to have the highest grades and be the best at school. We can try to conquer our sport, build the biggest circle of friends, or achieve beyond our peers. But being smart and good at stuff doesn’t define who we are. The feeling of “winning” that those things provide does not create long-lasting or sustainable happiness.

God has already told us who we are. He says that no matter how smart we are, how weak or strong we are, how athletic we are, or how much people like us, we are loved first and foremost by Him and we matter so much to Him.  He can provide more for us than the temporary happiness that our best efforts sometimes provide.  

The key word that comes to mind when I think about this idea is “Fulfillment”.  A lot of things can make us happy, but not all of those things leave us feeling fulfilled.  You know, I REALLY like Chinese food…orange chicken, spicy chicken, dumplings, fried rice (hungry yet?)…I like it all.  The problem with Chinese food is that no matter how much I eat (and I can eat a lot) I always find myself hungry again just a couple of hours later.  Why is that?  It’s not that I didn’t eat enough during the meal, but the nutrients I got from what I ate weren’t sufficient.

The same is true of our happiness.  We can chase achievement or success, popularity, likeability, money, friends, you name it.  Those things can help us be momentarily happy but very rarely leave us feeling fulfilled.  No matter how successful, likeable, or popular you are, there will always be a list of people to impress.  It’s impossible!  Basing your happiness on what others think of you will never lead to true fulfillment – that foundation can only come from God!

What are some things other people say you ‘are’?  Who do you think God says you are?  How can you focus more on God’s thoughts of you instead of others people’s thoughts of you?