Looking For All The Right Things In All The Wrong Places

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” – John 4:13-14

When my husband and I first moved to Kentucky last year, we lived in an apartment for six weeks before we could move into the house we purchased. And because it was such a temporary living situation, we decided to unpack as little as possible while we were there.

That being said, since I worked from home, my options for a “workspace” were either sitting on our bed or curling up in the white chair in the corner of the living room. (Hilariously, our couch didn’t fit through the front door, so we made do with what we had.) And since the dining room table was still wrapped up and disassembled, the living room chair became my go-to spot to work.

One particular week while I was sitting in the aforementioned chair, I decided I wanted to make the vibe a little cozier. So I played some instrumental jazz music and turned on the Fireplace: Birchwood Edition on Netflix. (Trust me, it’s a thing.)

Our living room instantly felt homier, and I loved it. One of my favorite memories from growing up was when my dad would build a fire in our wood-burning fireplace in the winter, and we would listen to it crackle while we all sat and talked in the family room. Since I moved out of that house, I haven’t lived anywhere with a fireplace, so this Netflix option was the next best thing.

About 45 minutes after I “started the fire,” Kevin came home from work. Immediately, he noticed what was on the TV and giggled a little bit.

“What are you watching?” He asked, perplexed and humored at the same time.

“It’s a simulated fireplace! Isn’t it cozy?” I replied, probably a little too excited.

So Kevin walked up to the TV, held out his hands as if to warm them up, and said, “You realize this isn’t real, right?”

I rolled my eyes and acknowledged the obvious. But then I explained to him about how I loved a fire in the fireplace and how cozy it was, and this was as close as I could get to the real thing. He chuckled again and went to play with our puppy, and I went back to work.

I thought about that moment a lot over the next couple of days. Without even realizing it, I had painted a picture of what we so often do when we create idols in our lives.

In our hearts, in our souls, we have deep desires. There are things we want, things we long for, things we hope for. And so we search tirelessly for the thing we think will satisfy those longings and those desires.

In my case, I wanted a fire in the “fireplace.” I wanted coziness and warmth. I wanted nostalgia. And I thought that streaming a fake fire in a fireplace would give me all of those things. But in reality, while it looked cool on the TV, it didn’t give me what I was ultimately looking for. Compared to the real thing, it fell short.  

That’s exactly what happens when we try to find what we’re looking for in anything or anyone else other than our Jesus. We want to feel loved unconditionally, so we look for it in a dating relationship. We want to feel accepted, so we wiggle our way into the popular friend group. We want to feel appreciated, so never say no to anyone, only to end up exhausted. We want to feel admired, so we strive for success in school, sports, clubs, work, and everything else, desperate for praise and affirmation.

And eventually, after all of that striving and searching, we realize that we’re never going to find what we’re looking for if we keep looking in the wrong places. When we compare what this world can give us to what Jesus can give us, we will always be left disappointed. The love from a significant other will always fall short of the love that Jesus gives. Acceptance from friends will always fall short of the acceptance Jesus offers us. The appreciation people express to us will always fall short of the rest that Jesus promises us. And the admiration for our accomplishments will always fall short of the confidence that comes from acknowledging that your identity is in Christ alone.

Friend, if you’re reading this and realizing you’ve been looking for all of the right things in all the wrong places, first of all, you should know you’re not alone. That’s a very common struggle to face as a human being. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been following Jesus for 30 years or you’ve been following him for a couple of days. We all have trouble with this.

The things of this world are constantly making false promises, convincing us they can fulfill our desires, hopes, and dreams. But the sooner you realize that nothing aside from the Lord can give you what you’re looking for, the better off you’ll be. And that starts with asking Jesus to step in and fulfill your desires. It starts with seeking Him above all else. When you see Him come through for you, when you experience the satisfaction that only He can give, you’ll much more easily recognize when something else doesn’t measure up.

I knew that the Netflix fireplace wasn’t the best because I’d experienced the real thing. I’d felt the warmth and the coziness that only comes with a real fire burning in a real fireplace. And in the same way, you can recognize that what this world is offering you isn’t the best when you’ve experienced the best that Jesus has to offer.

So with that being said, I hope that you’ll take some time, right now, wherever you are, and reflect on where you may have been settling for what the world says will satisfy you. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you where you’ve been looking for fulfillment outside of your relationship with Him. And then ask the Lord to fill you up like nothing else can. Ask Him to give you the love, the acceptance, the rest, the confidence, and the peace you’re looking for. I promise you, He will come through like nothing and no one else will.