Read:
- Ecclesiastes 2:1-16
- 2 Corinthians 4:18
Why don’t pleasure or success satisfy me the way I expect them to?
The anticipation of Christmas morning. The excitement of a birthday party. A concert. Winning an award. All of these things feel good in the moment. But in every case, the excitement and joy eventually fade. So we go looking for the next party, the next win, the next emotional high. Even a promotion—something you worked hard for—can quickly turn into more work and more pressure to push toward the next one.
It never ends.
Because it always ends.
Think about it. You anticipate Christmas morning, and minutes later trash bags are filled with wrapping paper and snipped zip ties while half the toys lay off to the side. Then a day or two later, it’s back to the same routine. The same goes for a birthday party or concert. The music fades, your friends go home, life picks back up where it left off.
If you put your hope only in these moments, you’ll keep coming up empty when they inevitably end.
2 Corinthians 4:18 (NLT) gives this challenge: “So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”
Everything in this world is temporary. But what God is doing—in you and through you—lasts. So instead of chasing what fades, you can choose to focus on what’s eternal: a relationship with him and the people he’s placed in your life.
Prayer: God, remind me what actually lasts. Help me focus on what’s eternal—my relationship with you and the people around me. Amen.