Success

To my daughters...

I wanted to talk to you about success, or happiness, peace, or whatever word you use to describe what you're looking for. You'll never find it. Why? Because there's always more. And because there's more, you'll never reach where you want to go. Once you get there, there's somewhere else to be. It's like being a hamster on one of those play wheels - constantly running and never getting anywhere.

Instead, run after God. Build your life around finding Him. Make your relationship with Him your goal. Talk to Him about your job, about school, about life, roommates, dating, taxes, health, anything, everything. Because guess what He wants for you? Success, happiness, peace, and all those other words that you're looking for. God created these desires within you. He knows what satisfies them. And that they can't be satisfied. But there is always more of Him. So those desires also become a catalyst to learn more about Him. Ironic, huh? Dissatisfaction becomes the thing that leads to greater satisfaction.

Right now, we live in a world of rebellion. A world full of people fighting against the God who wants to give them everything. Even me. And I'm supposed to know better. Yet I still find myself constantly working against Him. Stopping that often feels like death. It hurts. It's hard. And it always works out better in the end.

Success, joy, peace, faith, hope, love - these all come from God. He is their source. And He shares them generously. Not just enough to fill our needs, but an over abundance so that they flow out from us. If you want to find these things, find Him. Connect with Him. Become the pipe through which all of that flows. And just like the pipes in my bathtub, that build up blockages over time, those things will also stick to you. In the book of Matthew, Jesus said look first for the kingdom of God and all this other stuff will follow (paraphrased). 

I've shown you some of the tools. I tried to teach you a little bit about Him. Ultimately, it's your decision. God pursues those He loves. But He won't force you. Turn around and face Him. I'm not promising you an easy life. I'm promising that success, happiness, peace, and all those other words don't depend on an easy life. They depend on a loving God.