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They Seem to Have It All, But. . .
Most realize the reason those who seem to have it all, and yet find themselves feeling miserable and empty is they are trying to fill a God-sized hole with the things of the world. They swallowed the belief that fame, riches, and accolades would give them a new identity. Truth be told, that quest led them further away from their true identity, which is found in Jesus Christ. Of course, none of these things will ever compensate for anything suffered in life.
To be technical, the things of the world have enticed them to seek fame and fortune, accolades, drugs and the like.
1 John 2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
In the Garden of Eden, the serpent tempted the woman with these three things: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.
Genesis 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food (lust of the flesh), and that it was pleasant to the eyes (lust of the eyes), and a tree to be desired to make one wise (pride of life), she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
The Church Has Not Been Exempt
Why would 1 John 2:15 tell us not to love the world? As disciples of Jesus, one might think we would not need to be told; however, that is not the case. The things of the world are very deceptive. It’s the reason Christians have fallen prey to seeking possessions and positions. Once they obtained them, they still found themselves empty.
1 Timothy 6:9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction (NASB).
Somewhere along the line, they deviated from their relationship with God. Trying to live in the Kingdom and the world simultaneously never works. There must be a divergence. When you are fully connected with the Lord, you find the world has nothing to offer. Those who have a disconnect with Him, feel they need to add those things the world tells us we need to have in order to be complete. That of course is a lie.
One of the reasons for the five-fold ministry (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers) is help protect the Body of Christ from false doctrine.
Ephesians 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.
Without going into various false teachings, one thing to keep in mind is that one of the reasons they can be very deceptive is some who teach it are sincere. They have no ill intent. They are simply in err. Those who wait to deceive are teaching heresy. The trick is not to seek what is error or heresy; rather, seek the truth. Once you have the truth, you cannot be deceived; unless, you want to be deceived. That’s a different issue.
Some of those false doctrines have mingled the things of the world with the Word of God. They nudged people in the wrong direction. Hence, the believers seek those things that distract them from God. Nothing wrong with possessions or positions as long as they don’t possess you. Part of denying ourselves is allowing God to determine what prosperity should be for us. We cannot afford to let the world dictate what it means to be successful. The key is to allow Holy Spirit to lead you.
Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Another Reason Some Feel Empty
Another reason Christians may find themselves feeling unfulfilled is what they are doing or trying to possess have no real eternal value. They are not storing up for themselves treasures in Heaven; rather, they’re trying to create some sort of heaven on earth. They are inward focused. Walking in the will of God is the most fulfilling thing you will ever do!
Matthew 6:19-20 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
