Fulfillment In Life

Are you fulfilled? That can be a loaded question in today's world. It can mean different things to different people. I believe Satan loves to see people feel dragged down, depressed, and unfulfilled. When we succumb to to those feelings it brings with it a lack of contentment and a feeling of being dissatisfied. It causes us to lose focus and drift from one thing to another searching for our fulfillment.

Unfortunately it often causes people to pass judgement on one another. One secretly feels unsatisfied with what they are doing. So deep down they think maybe it will make them feel better if they tear you down for your choices. You have a nagging feeling you could be happier "if only" and it so happens they are living that life so you join in on ripping them to shreds. Yet none of that adds to your fulfillment.

Yesterday a friend and I had a conversation and it led into the subject of SAHM vs. working moms. She wasn't sure if she could be fulfilled being at home all the time. She thinks I'm great at it but she couldn't do it. It's funny but when I worked outside the home so many years as a teacher, then as a preschool director, people said the same thing! They saw the same level of fulfillment in my life then as what people do today.

My statement to her was this. I don't think you will find fulfillment in being at home. I don't think you will find fulfillment in working. You will only find fulfillment in being obedient to God and being where He wants you.

Think about it.

At work you have good days where you feel competent, appreciated and deeply satisfied with the performance you gave. Perhaps you had an interaction with someone and you were able to brighten their day or show a Christlike attitude and it gave you such a victorious feeling. Then there are other days when you feel like everything goes wrong, you can't do anything right and on top of it you really blew it when it came to dealing with other people.

Being at home is no different. There are days when you feel you have accomplished so much, you have spent such good quality time with your family, you have had heart to heart talks with your children and can really see your purpose being lived out. Then there are other days where everything is chaos, the children backtalk and act out, the dog knocks over the trash and you totally blow a fuse.

When it comes to feeling fulfilled it isn't a matter of the magic formula of having a career OR being at home. It doesn't work that way. Fulfillment comes by seeking God and His leading and truly following what He has you to do. That old discontentment usually comes because of disobedience in some area of our life. We know there is sin but we are stuffing down the conviction trying to justify our actions so we don't have to deal with it. But true fulfillment and satisfaction will only come when we listen to our Lord and submit to His leading.

Seek Him today!