As believers, we tend to say, ‘God is all I need’, but that statement is not always true in our everyday lives. Many of us seek satisfaction, if not perfection, in our lives. We want to believe that God is enough, but yet we still chase fulfillment elsewhere.
The truth is: we were all designed for perfection—to be truly satisfied, and this is why so many of us long for it. If we look at the Bible in the very beginning, God created a perfect world for us to inhabit. In Genesis, He designed for us to live surround by complete satisfaction. It was beautiful, fulfilling, and satisfying in every way. No sadness, emptiness, or confusion.
However, insert Adam and Eve. They made a choice against God’s will, and due to their choice, sin entered the world. We now live in a broken, fallen, sin-filled world. But the great news is God is coming back for His people. He promises in His word that He brings us back to perfection as Eden is restored in the last chapters of Revelation.
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the older order of things has passed away, I am making everything new.” (Revelation 21:3-5)
The more we crave and thirst for satisfaction in this fallen world we live in, the more disappointed we become, because it will never truly satisfy the longing placed in our hearts from the very beginning.
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The thirst for satisfaction starts from the day we are born. From the time we were children, we search to be satisfied with that new bike, new barbie doll, or new video game. We wait for these things to make us happy. As teenagers, we sought satisfaction in good grades, excelling in sports, getting a car, or a boyfriend. As adults, we think a spouse, a bigger house, children, or that high-paying position will quench our thirst. But we are still left wanting more.
We are left with this gap, and time and time again; it is never fulfilled. A gap between this fallen world and a world full satisfaction. There will always be a gap, otherwise we would never have a need for God. Think about it: if all the things we sought after never disappointed us, leaving us thirsty for more, we would have no need to thirst after God Himself. We would already be filled by other things, leaving no room for God to be in our lives.
As Christ followers, and because Christ gave his life for us, we can be satisfied in God and God alone, even while living in this messy middle path between Genesis and Revelation. We can learn to not just say the words, but rather believe the words: that God is all I need—He is enough.
The way to be truly satisfied in God is to fill your cup with Him daily—and I’m not referring to your salvation. Being saved and being filled are two different things.
Being saved is when you accept Christ into your heart and commit your life to walking with Him. This is the salvation you are given freely by the grace of God. Your salvation never goes away. (John 3:16).
Being filled refers to God’s Holy Spirit, which is the gift Jesus left us after He died on the cross, filling you up. As believers who accept Christ’s salvation, we have access to this gift. In fact, the “Holy Spirit lives in us” (John 14:17). But we also live in our flesh, so we have to nurture our spirit daily. The Holy Spirit is meant to fill us up to be our daily guide, counselor, “helper” and “teacher” (John 14:15-18, 26). Thank you Lord for leaving us with such a gift!
Nothing comes naturally to living in the Spirit. One day I can react to a situation in my flesh, while the next day I allow God to fill me up with the Holy Spirit, and my reaction can be completely different. This is why filling up your cup and nurturing your spirit is so important.
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1. Carve out time to seek God:
God leaves us with instructions to start each day by teaching us to “seek Him first, then all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). I’m not saying it has to be the first thing you do when you wake up. “Seek first” is an indication of priorities. But I like the idea of filling my cup up with God’s spirit before I fill it up with what the world has to offer. Decide on the best time that works for you and make it a part of your daily routine.
2. Empty out your cup:
Before you can fill up your cup, you must first empty it out. You cannot fill something up that is fully or partially full of other things. Pour out your hurts, concerns, worries, agenda, unforgiveness, sin, and requests as God says to “cast all your burdens on Him” (1 Peter 5:7). Once you empty yourself out, it leaves room for you to then fill yourself back up with Him.
3. Fill up with God's word and strive to memorize Scripture:
Receive the word of God like an athlete might receive an energy bar. Scripture is food and nourishment for your spirit. It is crucial to fill your cup up with the “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16) words of Scripture, because they consist of truth. We live in a world full of lies, but thankfully, we have the truth to fill us up at our fingertips.
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Dissatisfaction and discontentment will always be present if we are filling our cups with things or people of this world. Jesus teaches the Samaritan women at the well a valuable lesson. This woman tried to find her satisfaction in other people. She went from husband to new husband searching for satisfaction. Jesus taught her, that “whoever drinks of this water [the water the world offers] will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst” (John 4:13-14).
Here me when I say this – there is nothing wrong with enjoying things of this world. God wants for us to enjoy the gifts He gives us (Matthew 7:11), inasmuch as they direct us to praise Him for the good things He has made. But if you are searching for fulfillment and satisfaction from the things of the world, that is where you will always be left searching, never satisfied, as material things are only temporary.
My older brother had just turned thirty-three years old when he passed away from a rare form of cancer. Although he lived a short life here on earth, he lived a vibrant one. Rather than mourn his death, as a family, we decided to celebrate his life. At his celebration of life event, we had a room dedicated to all his ‘stuff’ that made up his life. From his snowboarding gear, books, video gaming systems, beer making equipment, wardrobe of ‘nerd’ t-shirts, to his entire collection of Star Wars memorabilia and movies. Everything that made my brother who he was on earth was jammed into one room for everyone to view this day.
But did any of that ‘stuff’ that satisfied him here on earth go to Heaven with him? Scripture says in 1 Timothy 1:7 “for we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.”
My brother enjoyed all those things and it satisfied his life at times. But what went with him to eternity was his nurtured spirit, not his “stuff.” His spirit lives with the God almighty now. The God that made Him whole and fulfilled him forever. The same God we have access to while we are here on this earth through the Holy Spirit. And it’s through the Holy Spirit that we find true satisfaction, not the things of the world that won’t join us in eternity.
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YOU get to choose what you fill your cup with. I have days where my flesh fills the majority of my cup. From things such as my phone, the news, friends, music, or just being too busy with a full calendar. For some it may be your spouse, who you rely on constantly to satisfy you. Perhaps it’s food, social media, or your career that you long to be filled by.
I encourage you spend some time praying, asking God to reveal to you the things that are filling the gaps in your cup that should be filled with Him. And take steps to eliminate those things or decrease your exposure to them as long as they steal your heart from your Father.
God is our only source that never runs dry, never runs on empty. He is our only source that is not emotionally messed up. Your spouse, mom, pastor, best friend—yes, they too live in a fallen world. God is not unstable; he is not an imperfect human like the ones you are seeking satisfaction from, yet leaving you still thirsty for more. Start your days seeking God first, rather than going to the broken and empty things of the world to fill your cup.
Spend time in the word of God, which we have available to us. Inhale it, and “write the Scriptures on the tablet of your heart” (Proverbs 7:3). Empty yourself out daily so you can fill yourself up with Him. You cannot be satisfied in this world, but you can be satisfied in Him. He is enough!
Alisha Headley is a writer + speaker who has a desire to meet the everyday woman in her everyday life with biblical truth. Stepping into her true calling, she left the corporate world behind as a former-financial VP to love on her family as a stay-at-home wifey + dog mama, while also being able to pursue her passion as a writer. Healing from a chapter of life consumed with lies she once believed about herself, she is inspired to point women to Christ to experience the freedom + power to overcome those lies with the truth written in God’s word. In her free time, Alisha enjoys road trips around the country, working out so she can eat her favorite foods, and creatively styling her outfits with a craft for fashion. Alisha is a proud wifey and dog mama living in Scottsdale, Arizona.
You can follow her blog by visiting her website or connect with her on facebook + instagram.