Finding personal fulfillment is like the pot of gold at the end of life's rainbow. For some it is happiness, for others success, for others it's all about relationships. Honestly, for most of us, it is all those and probably more.
In the world of business, the word "fulfillment" has a very particular meaning. Fulfillment means order fulfillment. It means locating the product the customer wants, and getting it to their front door as quickly as possible.
Retail companies—especially online retailers—put enormous amounts of time and energy into perfecting the fulfillment side of their operations. Amazon's massive warehouses are models of high-tech efficiency.
Ah, but there's a catch. Order fulfillment comes at a price. Amazon Prime claims "free" shipping, but only for people who pay out a subscription fee, soooooo … And even finding personal fulfillment in experiences or things or people comes at a price, usually the cost includes giving up something else, working hard, or at the very least strategically aligning key opportunities.
Fulfillment isn't a gift in this world. It's an achievement, often demanding a price.
Carrying a cardboard box in from the front porch may produce a tiny tingle of excitement, but it's nothing compared to the larger fulfillment that only God can deliver. In the Bible God talks about his kind of fulfillment, about a man being satisfied by God not as a costly achievement but as a gift.
"Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation" (Psalm 91:14-16).
When God says "I will," it's a big deal. Pay attention. He's promising something. He's giving a free gift. He calls it salvation, which is the fulfillment of all fulfillments. And Jesus already paid the price.
PRAYER: Dear satisfying Savior, thank you for showing me true fulfillment. Teach me to appreciate your promises first, which interpret all other satisfaction in life. Amen.
FURTHER MEDITATION: Return to Psalm 91:14-16. How many promises of God can you find? Say a prayer of thanks about each one, observing a specific way that God fulfilled that promise for you recently. It is possible, however, that you do not see that promise satisfied in your life, even though God is at work in it. In that case, humbly admit that you don't know or see everything, and that you still have confidence in God's promises.
Daron Lindemann
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