As far back as Sally can remember, she has always wanted more out of life. She wants something so bad, she maps out plans and strategies to get it, she works hard, follow through, hits that milestone and she is elated. She is so elated and celebrates her victory or she doesn’t sometimes.
Sally wakes the next morning identifying another milestone that has to be conquered and she goes for it, chasing after it with all of her being and might. Her constant pursuit of conquering milestones was reinforced in her Economics class when she learns that the wants of man are insatiable. The resources of man are limited whereas the needs of man are just unending. And she thought to herself, this must be the reason for my short-lived rejoicing or happiness after a conquest.
Sally wanted to get into one of the best private high school in her city, she had to devote two hours daily to study extra hard, she agreed with her parents to get her tutor to assist with the difficult subjects. She worked hard!
She got into the private high-school of her choice. She gets into high school and she sees the cool kids, she wants to be part of them. She wants to be called a cool kid, she wants to identify with the cool kids and she works hard at it yet again.
She is a cool kid now, “rolling with the coolest kids on the block” , she identifies her new conquest – staying tops in her class.
She would like for her crush to look her way, show some love, probably ask her out.
She is able to finish top of her class in high school but not able to win the heart of the boy she really liked. She thinks to herself, “college will be lit!”
“I’d get into one of the great colleges, excel like I usually do and I could have a boyfriend there and then”, she said to herself
She gets to her last year in high school, she needs to put in even more effort than she did to get into high school to get into college.
She puts in all the effort, gets into college hurray!
She works hard to graduate of college with great grades so she can get a great job.
College is done, she had a couple of boyfriends here and there. It was not exactly satisfying, on the contrary she had her heart broken into many pieces.
Life outside the walls of college should be great! I’d have a plethora of opportunities to choose from. “I so cannot wait to get of college already!” Sally constantly thought to herself daily.
Outside the walls of college is just another ball game, its just so different from what Sally had imagined. It feels like the roller coaster race and chase for paper, fulfilment, validation, purpose, acceptance just keeps going on and on.
Sally isn’t sure if she enjoys being an accountant as she had studied and worked to become in the last four years of her life. She just did not seem to find the satisfaction she thought she would get from getting a job.
There is just a void somewhere, she just cannot identify but she just wants to fill it up so bad!
Would a boyfriend fill up this void or perhaps a husband?
Or Perhaps buying herself a car or going to the la creme de la creme restaurants or parties in town could keep her busy, distracted or could fill up this void she experiences.
The list of things to do to fill up this void in Sally’s life could go on and on
But the truth is, nothing in this world can satisfy our thirst for more. We are all wired to keep asking for more, keep wanting more, keep raising the standards after we achieve a milestone.
Sally’s story reminds me of the story of creation, Sally and the earth before God stepped in have one thing in common. They were devoid of the Holy Spirit.
Genesis 1:2 tells us that the earth was without form and void! This is exactly how Sally feels, empty and without form.
But something happened as soon as God stepped into the Picture, He poured out His Spirit over the earth, spoke to the earth and the earth was gradually filled with all the beauties we see today. Genesis 1:1-31. The earth began to take shape and have purpose as soon as the Spirit of God hovered over the earth.
Trying to fill up our lives with the things of this world without the Holy spirit will only leave us as empty and void as the world was without the Holy Spirit.
We are Spirits beings living inside a body, hence material things cannot fill up our spirits to satisfaction. There will always be that void in our spirits to be filled with the right thing.
Therefore Sally and as many of us that want to fill up voids in our lives that we try to fill up with material things need the Holy Spirit in abundance.
Sally and as many who want satisfaction need to drink of the well that quenches all kinds of thirst forever, a drink of the Living water.
Jesus told the Samaritan woman he met at Jacob’s well many centuries ago that whoever drinks of this water that He offers will never thirst again. But the water will become springs of water that gives eternal life – John 4:14
How can you be filled with the Holy Spirit? How can you drink of this living water?
- Make a list of the bad things you know that you do.
- Confess them to God, make up your mind to change, turn away from them.
- Accept Jesus into your life, make Him your friend. You should say this prayer here
- Be baptized in the name of Jesus, this is baptism by immersion in water.
- Pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
The word of God tells us He has poured out His spirit to all flesh, its a gift that He has given to all believers- Acts 10:45, Joel 2:28
All we need to do as believers or as new friends of Jesus is to ask for the infilling of the Holy Spirit, it will surprise you how much satisfaction you would experience with the Holy Spirit.
I pray that you and I always give room for the Holy spirit to fill up the void that our friends, family or possessions cannot fill in Jesus name.
.Note: Sally’s character is absolutely fictional.