I wake up in the morning and before my feet hit the floor I realize that I have nothing more to live for. I pour myself a cup of coffee to start my day and I realize that I have nothing more to live for. I write my blog post or research my sermon, I mentor a friend or attend a prayer meeting and I realize that I have nothing more to live for. I think of my family, my aging parents, my beautiful wife, my three boys, two daughter-in-laws and my 3.8 grandchildren and I realize that I have nothing more to live for. I finish my day, lay my head down on the pillow and I realize that I have nothing more to live for.

Is it hopelessness or contentment? Have I given up or just settled in?

It is all of the above. I am hopelessly content. I have given up so that I can settle in. I have nothing more to live for because I have found the only way to address my hopelessness. I have given up trying to live my way and settled in to living God’s way, I am content.

Life is a constant reminder that there is nothing more to live for.

We have all chased it, elusive happiness that is always one step ahead.

We have all attempted it, that sure-fire way to make our marriage, parent-child, friend and co-worker relationships better.

We have all dreamed of it, that day when one more piece of the puzzle finally fits in and the picture becomes clear.

The chase never ends, the relationship gets better only to become worse because life happens, the final piece of the puzzle ends up completing the picture which turns into a new puzzle we must complete. We have to admit that as much as we think our efforts will make a difference, in the end the ground gained is only an illusion because there is always something more. At some point we have to accept that there is nothing more to live for because what we have lived for is an exhausting pursuit of the unobtainable.

Life is a constant reminder that there is nothing more to live for.

You are where you want to be in your career.

You have the house you always wanted.

You have the family that you dreamed of.

You can sit back and relax because life is great and you are happy just being you. You don’t have to exert yourself unless you want to and you don’t have to dream about anything because you already have it or you can get it. You don’t worry about food or shelter because the food you eat and the shelter you have far surpass the basic needs of any human. At some point you have to admit that there is nothing more to live for because what you have pursued is now what you have.

Reality is a mix of both worlds.

There are days we want to give up because we can’t get what we want. There are days that we feel we have all that we want and there is nothing more to pursue. There are days that include both. Life is never so cut and dry that it is either hopeless or perfect. Life never remains stagnant enough that our level of hopelessness and perfection remains unchanged. At the risk of sounding morbid, we have nothing more to live for because we are pursuing what we cannot have and enjoying what we always wanted so we are basically done.

This life gives me nothing more to live for but so does Jesus.

I am hopelessly content because I pursued the world’s solutions and they are hopeless but in this I discovered Jesus and He makes me content. I have found it impossible to be happy on my own which leads me to give up and become settled into a life of following Jesus.

I can return to my worldly pursuits trying to rest in my personal accomplishments and good fortune. In this type of life there are times of frustration and times of contentment. In some areas I will thrive and in others I will never thrive so I might as well give up, there is nothing more to live for.

I can surrender to Jesus and pursue nothing more than Him while resting in His accomplishments and the blessing that is mine. There will be times of frustration and times of contentment. In some areas I will thrive and in others I will never thrive so I might as well give up my own pursuits. In Jesus there is nothing more to live for but Him.

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 4:12-13 (NIV)

The secret of being content is having nothing more to live for than Jesus.