The search was over, the deposit paid, and the house secured! And they all lived happily ever after…

Everyone longs for the fairy tale ending in their own way. We want to find something that makes us enormously happy and then freeze time so we can be suspended in that blissful state forever. Whether it’s a marriage partner, a family, a house, a successful career, or fame and fortune, we often scour the world in pursuit of happiness. Sometimes we find the illustrious treasure. But a typical pattern tends to emerge:

The newfound treasure is normalised.  We integrate it into our lives, get used to it, and it is soon relegated to something we simply take for granted.

The normalised treasure loses its charm. As the thrill of newness fades, the happiness derived from it subsides. The exciting new job becomes a chore; the shiny new car gets scratched; the new home’s idiosyncrasies begin to annoy.

The charmless treasure no longer satisfies. After a while, what we once so eagerly sought no longer delivers the happiness we desired. “I can’t get no satisfaction” and “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for” become anthems of our lament.

The dissatisfying treasure prompts a new search. And so we return to where we started, searching. Sadly, this cycle can roll through our entire lifetime, leaving us to lie on our deathbed with a massive snowball of discontent (and perhaps regret) by our side.

The fairy tale ending eludes us because, well, things end. “The grass withers and the flowers fall…” We can’t freeze time any more than we can prevent decay. Things in this world can’t satisfy our soul’s cravings. And a life well lived doesn’t necessarily lead to a death well died.

“…but the word of the Lord endures forever.”  In his great mercy, God has revealed a much bigger picture for us to fix our eyes on. He has enlightened the eyes of our hearts to see eternal hope—living hope—that can never perish, spoil or fade in Christ. I’m glad for an earthly home to live in. But I’m gladder for Jesus. He provides something supremely satisfying to look at and look forward to, beyond anything this world can offer.