Most of us like to enjoy the things of this earth like having stylish clothes, a comfortable spacious home, nice car, great wealth, supportive friends ,loving relationships , exciting travel experiences, or a promising career path. These are some of the goals that most people may aim for in their lives. There is nothing wrong with these things.
As we strive to achieve these goals, we may believe that once we have acquired them, we will be ultimately satisfied in the long term. However many individuals discover when they finally realise these goals that their still is a feeling of emptiness in the core of their being.
In a short documentary about a famous band, the lead singer (who shall remain nameless), expressed the fact that when he finally achieved success in terms of millions of records sold world wide and ultimate fame, there was still an emptiness inside him. This forced him to ask himself – “why do I still not feel happy even at this high point in my career? What am I missing in my life ? What is it that I still need”.
I had a friend (who has now passed away) who once shared with me some experiences in her younger years. She had been a highly attractive woman who was like the “rose” of high society. Sought after by many suitors she admitted that she had never had her heart broken but fortunately always had the upper hand when it came to men. Naturally she would be invited to all the grand parties and played hostess to many of her own. However when these were all over and everyone went home, she admitted to a feeling of emptiness in her soul and thought to herself “is this all there is to life? Surely there is something more?”
In one of my songs called “It’s Christmas” there is a line which says ….”there’s a void we all have in our souls that only one can fill”. I would like to suggest that this feeling of emptiness that these two people felt, is the longing for spiritual fulfilment which is present in every human being . We all long for something deeper than just surface satisfaction provided by the material things of this world. Our longing is to be re-united with our Creator – to restore our relationship with God so we can experience the innocence of the Garden of Eden . This can only be achieved through Jesus Christ and his saving work of the cross. Through his death on the cross He is able to forgive and wipe away our sins so that we can have a direct relationship with our Maker once again. What we must do, is to ask God for the faith to believe, ask Jesus’ Holy Spirit to fill the empty place in our souls, and from then on, commit our lives to following Him. It is only though this commitment that we can experience the peace, cleansing and innocence once again for the rest of our lives.
Fortunately for my friend she eventually found Jesus later in her life to fill the empty void within her soul. Jesus is like the missing link in our lives that we are searching for. Some may think that relationships, wealth or earthly pleasures will ultimately satisfy us. However the truth is, that only a knowledge and relationship with Jesus can give us lasting inner spiritual peace and fulfilment that we need. Through Jesus we can also become part of the family of God which includes all of his true followers here on earth. We are like another pearl added to a beautiful pearl necklace, where Jesus is the strong clasp that holds us together to renders us wearable to fulfil it’s purpose .
Finding Jesus is also like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The ironic thing is that when we experience the unconditional love and saving work of Jesus in a real way, the blessings on this earth become more enjoyable. The reason for this, is that we now realise who is responsible for giving us all good gifts on this earth, whether they be material possessions or the beauty of nature , and therefore can now marvel rejoice and praise God for His creation and the different ways he provides for us.
Knowing Jesus can enrich our lives in a greater way. Have you found your missing link yet?
By Adelle Arwen
Gospel Singer Songwriter & Recording Artist
http://www.strengthinyourstruggles.com/
