American author once Iving Kristol said, “Being frustrated is disagreeable, but the real disasters of life begin when you get what you want.”
This is because what we want — or what we think we want — is often not what we really need to lead a fulfilled, meaningful life.
Eventually, the time comes when we realize that the trinket we worked so hard to acquire — or even the goal we sacrificed to reach — doesn’t bring the satisfaction we expected it could.
We then find ourselves asking, as so many have asked, “Is that all there is? Is this as good as it gets?”
Goals will always have a place in our lives, and accumulating possessions will always be part of the human experience, but we serve ourselves best the sooner we understand that these things will never be enough.
We serve ourselves best when we learn to say, as Augustine said, “O Lord, our heart is restless, until it finds its rest in thee.”
Where are you seeking your rest today? In a paycheck? In a relationship? In something you possess?
These may not be bad in and of themselves, but we must also remember that neither are they the finish line. There’s something better, something greater, something more meaningful to seek.
If your heart is restless today, take a moment to re-evaluate what you really want.
Strive today to say as David said, “My soul finds rest in God alone.” (Psalm 62:1)
