What Are You Striving For?
With the rise of internet “Influencers” on social media, I feel we’re constantly given these ideals of what a good, fulfilled life is meant to look like: the perfect partner, perfect family, perfect career, exotic and extravagant holidays. You know? Just “living your best life”! In addition to this, over the past couple of years and increasingly throughout the pandemic, I’m noticing a trend on social media and speaking to people in general. It is this culture of “hustling”, no rest until I’ve achieved all my goals and become successful to the point of making my money work for me. It is becoming the norm for people to have multiple sources of income, whether it’s a job and a small side business or investments. The concept of just working 9-5 shifts is no longer enough. It’s starting to seem that unless you have a thriving career and a side business and an investment portfolio, you don’t want to be successful. Is it just me? Does anyone else notice this?
I’ve always believed that success is subjective; for one person, it may be to be the best in their field of work; for others, it may be to build a home and look after a family, and for others, it may be to build a collection of experiences by travelling the world or helping other people. Finally, it may involve serving well in your local church and being involved in multiple ministries for some Christians.
As humans, we seem to be striving for “the next thing” constantly, knowing more and doing more. We strive to get into college/university or trade when we’re in school. Then we’re striving to get a university degree and get a good start to a career. Most people may then look to get into a serious relationship and get married. After marriage, we’re looking to buy a house or have children. There’s always a next step and things to attain.
However you define a successful life, have you ever stopped to ask yourself…. Why do I want to be successful? Why do I want to make all this money? To have a good retirement plan? To leave a legacy for my children? To show it off on social media? To be the church member involved with the most ministries? When would you consider yourself successful? When we accomplish all these things, what then? When have I done enough?
Ecclesiastes 1:2-4, 11-14, (ESV)
2 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. 3 What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? 4 A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. 11 There is no remembrance of former things nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after. 12 I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
Reading those verses makes it appear as if life is pretty pointless, doesn’t it? It begs the question, what’s the purpose of it all? Generation after generation, life seems to essentially repeat itself with slight differences and progression, each generation all but forgotten a few generations later.
Unless we make significant contributions to society such as Shakespeare or Madame Curie, or notable missionaries like Charles Spurgeon or Elizabeth Elliot, we, unfortunately, will eventually be forgotten by most people. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t write this to say that life is pointless or not worth living. Instead, just to urge us (Christians) to ask the question, what am I striving for?
I believe that God has intentionally created us with a hole in our hearts and lives that only He can fill. It is the reason God said in His word, “… without me, ye can do nothing” (John 15:5), and we are complete in Him (Colossians 2:10). We were not created to live a fulfilled life without God. If we try to, there will always be something missing. We would constantly look for the next source of satisfaction or something to give our lives meaning and make us feel good about ourselves. But alas, in this quest for meaning, we will find that (without God) nothing is ever enough. There is always more money to be made, more things to accomplish, more good work, and other people seemingly doing better things.
It may seem obvious to write about this to Christians, but we all seem to fall into the same pattern even after we are saved and in our Christian walk (perhaps this is just me?). Does it ever feel like you’re just serving in the church for the sake of it after a while? Going through the motions and ticking all the boxes? We often mean well with our work for God, but if we’re not careful, we can very easily find ourselves “doing the work of God” without God. I’ve been going to church my whole life; very involved with a few things as a teenager. However, I didn’t realise I wasn’t even saved until I was 19 years old! I genuinely believed I was doing well, working for God until then.
So while it is great to strive for notable things, have ambition and push ourselves, it’s important, once in a while, to stop, take a breath and ask God, am I doing this just because it is the thing to do?
We can very quickly put up the façade of “good Christian”; go on all the mission trips, go to all the weekly church services, and be involved with multiple ministries within and outside of the church. However, we can find ourselves very quickly discouraged if this is all done by our willpower (and, let’s be honest… our pride) just for the sake of looking like a good Christian. It is a beautiful thing to want to serve the Lord! But if it is not done with the Spirit of God, what is it really worth?
In Colossian 2, the Apostle Paul offers this encouragement:
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith… Colossians 2:6-7, KJV
We often forget that this means that God must be at the centre in every aspect of our lives. This is the only way we will ever be satisfied and complete. I often find myself encouraged by the life of the New Testament apostles. I can imagine that in their humanity, they must have been exhausted, discouraged and in a lot of pain, constantly going against the grain by preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Reading about the lives they lead, we are reminded that they had no other choice but to lean entirely on God. This allowed them to actually rejoice when they were persecuted for the sake of Christ.
Acts 5:41, ESV; “Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonour for the name.” What else would cause one to rejoice at being subjected to physical torture but the joy that can only come from living a life for and with God?
Furthermore, in Philippians, Paul reminds us of the attitude God can give us no matter what stage of life we are in or what kind of life He has called us to live:
…for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him (Christ) who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:11-13, ESV)
Philippians 4:13 is often used as a motivational verse (I can do anything I want because Christ will give me strength.) But the context of the verse really says: whatever life I live, I can live it through Christ. He is all I need, and I can be content with Him. I can and must do all things through Christ. This should be the attitude we have throughout our life. Are you content with what God has for you, no matter how seemingly simple and insignificant in a world that is all about achievements?
I’ll conclude this article with two passages:
Ecclesiastes 12: 13-14, KJV: Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
1 Corinthians 10:31, ESV: So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
The “whole duty” of our lives seems to be laid out quite simply; fear God, keep His commandments. But our deeply flawed, imperfect flesh makes that difficult sometimes. Even when we strive to obey, keep His commandments and be good Christians, we can often find ourselves doing that in pride and our own willpower. It ends up being exhausting and feeling pointless! If we are told to do simple tasks such as eating and drinking to the glory of God, how much more are we to do everything else to His Glory? How much more are we to live our whole lives to His Glory! We cannot do this without Him; our flesh and pride will always get in the way. So while it is great to strive for notable things, have ambition and push ourselves, it’s important, once in a while, to stop, take a breath and ask God, am I doing this just because it is the thing to do? Am I doing this for my glory or for God’s glory? No matter how ordinary or extraordinary our lives are, it’s always worthwhile to ask the question, what (or who) am I striving for?
Photo credit: ©istockphoto/Gibson Pictures
