I hit my perfect weight. I made the Dean's list. I'm getting paid for my photography. I've made a ton of new friends, yet I feel nothing. I've got everything I could ever want at my age. A banging car, a scholarship that pays for all of my schooling, a loving family, and a pretty awesome job, yet I still feel nothing.
I feel nothing because there is no joy outside of Jesus.
I've put all my energy into being noticed by this world. "Look at me and my fancy new clothes!" or "Look at me and my super cool scholarship!" Why do we long for this attention? Our broken hearts, our sin stained hands are the culprits. We crave this world, yet God chases us. He longs for us to turn to Him. He craves our attention, because He knows He is the only thing that can fill that void we are so desperately seeking to fill. We put our hope in lifeless things. The new pair of shoes, that college acceptance letter, the brand spankin' new car, in hopes that it will make us something, instead of putting our hope in something living. Something breathing. Someone who is pursuing you with everything He has. His name is Jesus.
Jesus loves you. He doesn't love your $300 purse or your $500 watch. He loves you. He loves how you can walk into a room and light it up. He loves how you don't wear a veil to cover His glory, but allow His light to shine from you, reflecting it for the world to see. He loves how you smile, how you dance, how you sing praises to Him. He loves how you live unashamed of Him. Following Him fearlessly to the ends of the Earth. He loves your humble heart and your kind soul. Not your BMW or Gucci bag.
I always felt like I would feel something. I felt that when people accepted me all of my problems would be solved. I would never have to worry about anything. I felt that when people desired to be around me I would feel joy. Instead I felt happy, but happiness is fleeting. It's an emotion that lingers and then fizzles out leaving you feeling empty, desperately trying to find something to fill it, reaching for that next high. Insert your drug of choice. Shopping, friends, food. Desperetly trying to keep your head above water. Try to find something to fill that void. Joy, however, is the only thing that can fill it, and joy only comes from Jesus.
You are just as purposeful dating someone or not. You are just as meaningful with that purse or without it. You are just as important with that job or without it. You are just as blessed with that car or without it. Jesus didn't just come to die for the people who seem to have it all. He came to die for the man living under the bridge who lost everything. He came for the woman who can't seem to do anything right. He came also for the man with the fancy shmancy cars with all the bells and whistles. He came for the woman with the million dollar home. Jesus says that it doesn't matter what we do or don't have, the only thing that matters is if we have Him. If we don't have Him we ultimately have nothing.
"He says, “I am for you despite your circumstances, despite your bank account, despite what your closest holds. I accept you whether your dream school did or didn’t. I don’t care what the world tells you, listen to me because I am the only One who truly knows your whole soul. Trust me because I am your Creator. I do not judge by what you have or don’t. I care about who you are. I don’t care about the material you own. I just want you to know me because I am the only One who will ever fill your desire ridden heart. Trust that I know how to satisfy your heart because I am the One who crafted it.”
Putney, Booke. "I FINALLY GOT IT! AND I FELT NOTHING." BROOKE PUTNEY RSS. Web. 03 Feb. 2016.