We eat everyday. And yet even after a very satisfying meal, we soon grow hungry again. This is not being greedy; it’s simply how we’ve been designed – a perpetual hunger for more. And many of our desires throughout our life and relationships function in a similar way.
For instance, even after a very successful career, most of us are not excited about the prospect of doing nothing for the rest of our lives. There’s a part of us that still craves to make an impact, even if it looks different and is at a slower pace than the first half of life.
Regular quality time with our wife, friends, and loved ones can also feed the deep parts of our soul. At the same time, it never seems to be enough. We desperately long to keep coming back and experiencing our time together again.
Likewise, a great vacation, sexual experience, or the like doesn’t stop us from still wanting more. Part of us will always want another experience regardless of how satisfying the last one was.
Whatever it looks like, this endless desire is not a character flaw, even though we must learn to handle it with care. To be sure, the desire is not the problem, but rather what we do with it.
Our perpetual desire keeps our eyes focused on God who is the true source of our life and gives us everything we need. And we set ourselves up for much frustration and disappointment when we forget him and make an idol of the things we want.
Our desires are no longer free when we demand they must look a certain way. God satisfying our hunger doesn’t always mean a steak dinner. But we don’t have to pretend we’re not hungry when our stomach is growling for more.
In the end, your endless desires are to point you back to God. Stay hungry for more without forgetting your true source of life.
Photo by Thomas Bjornstad on Unsplash
