Insatiable
A while back, I got a coffee mug from a speaker that spoke to our youth group. Originally my coffee mug read “The Insatiable Quest for Beauty.” Through the speaker’s story, she spoke about things like eating disorders and self-worth. This has been one of my favorite mugs, not only because I like the shape of the mug, but because growing up I struggled with those things. But if I’m totally honest, sometimes feelings of inadequacy still rear their nasty little faces. I don’t add up as a wife, a mom, a friend, a follower of Jesus. It’s easy to hear only the negative, the one comment about how something isn’t finished, or how I should have handled a tantrum, amidst the positive. That even though the table is full of a random assortment of hair bows, toys, and mail, at least the dishes and laundry are done. That even though my toddler had a meltdown in the store because she saw a balloon I wouldn’t buy her, earlier in the day she counted to ten all by herself (and didn’t skip 1 and 4) and told me every time she had to go potty. That I was too tired to deal with someone else’s struggle because I’ve had a long day, so I didn’t call my friend. That I consistently let God down by not obeying that tug to speak to a stranger, or by letting my frustration well up as I watch someone else not obeying.
Hm. I guess they don’t always have a positive side…
Over time, the letters on my mug have faded. (Because I continue to put it in the dishwasher. I hate doing dishes.) Now all that is left is the word “Insatiable” in bold red letters.
And shouldn’t that be how it is?
When we’re young, many of us are insatiable for worldly things. Beauty, success, the perfect relationship, money. We are looking for something to satisfy, but it’s never enough, is it? We get to whatever goal we originally set, but we’re only happy for a season. We inevitably want more. But if we’re seeking God – really seeking, I don’t mean just hoping that God starts changing your life if you’re not actually trying to grow closer to Him – then those other things start to diminish. Those other words – beauty, relationships, success – start to fade from our mug, until all that’s left is Insatiable. We become Insatiable for the right things. We become voracious for more of God, to see change in the world, for pure joy in life instead of just situational happiness. We know that we never stop growing, we will never know everything, but we should have an unquenchable thirst to know everything about God and an unappeasable need to love others.
So put that mug in the dishwasher and let those unnecessary words fade.
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