Restless Hearts

 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Ecclesiastes 1:14

Nothing fills the ever-present void in our hearts except for the presence of our Lord. We may chase after seemingly-satisfying things, escaping only temporarily the heartbreak of this life. The pleasures of this life are temporal. They are meaningless, satisfying for a few days or maybe even a few years, but never fully satisfying the cravings in our hearts.

We seek to be truly happy, yet we turn to every single thing imaginable other than the Creator of happiness and of life itself. We crave something more than this life is offering us, and are not content until we find what we believe makes our hearts truly happy. We place our happiness in other people, finding ourselves only content through the presence of others. We find satisfaction in certain activities, whether it's a new hobby or even something as far as the pleasure of sin, through acts of drugs and alcohol and acts of lust. Humanity is searching for something greater than what most find. Our hearts are empty, and we seek to fill it. Many believe they do, but none of these things last long. They are temporal, meaningless pleasures under the sun.

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I've been learning more than ever before that in the midst of sadness, when I find myself basing my happiness on the presence of other people or activities in my life, that contentment is not truly found. These things are fading. When they slip like the wind, my heart is no longer full. In fact, it is never full unless all contentment, all satisfaction, is placed in Christ alone. He is the Only One who can fill the human heart, which He created.

Our hearts have a God-shaped hole that only He can fit. We are made for something more. We are made for a life of satisfaction, of contentment and pleasure, but we will always be craving that very thing until we chase after the One who created happiness itself. We will always be restless until we live life according to the purpose for which He created us: to live in step with Him.

Jesus is the Only One who doesn't change. In a world of meaningless things, a world that is fading and will one day no longer exist, God will still be on the throne, and our hearts will truly be full of joy.

In the moments of discontentment, when your heart is restless and your happiness is based on the presence of other people or things, fix your eyes on Jesus. He is the only One who can fulfill our craving hearts and bring pure joy to this fading life.


I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:11-13