Have you ever noticed how quickly “enough” becomes “a little more”? You finally get the thing you’ve been wanting, only to find yourself wanting something else. Maybe it’s a bigger house, a better job, more money, a different season of life, or another vacation. We tell ourselves, If I could just have that, then I’d be happy. And sometimes it works…for a while. The new thing is exciting, the accomplishment feels rewarding, and the vacation is everything you hoped it would be. But eventually, the excitement fades and you’re looking for another new thing.
Why is it so difficult to be satisfied?
Maybe the problem isn’t that we haven’t found the right thing yet. Maybe we’re looking for satisfaction in things that were never meant to satisfy us.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting good things. A fulfilling career is good. A loving family is good. Financial stability is good. A comfortable home, a great meal, a beautiful vacation. These can all be wonderful gifts from God. But even the best gifts weren’t designed to be our ultimate source of happiness. When we expect them to satisfy something deeper in us, they will always end up disappointing us.
The Bible tells us that God “has put eternity into man’s heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11, ESV). There’s something in us that reaches beyond what we can see and experience right now. We want something lasting. Something comfortable. Something that won’t disappear when circumstances change. And no matter how many good things we accumulate, none of them will last forever.
Sometimes what we call dissatisfaction is actually a clue. The thing we’re chasing may not be the thing we really want. The desire for more money might actually be a desire for security. The desire for recognition might be a desire to know that our lives matter. The desire for a perfect relationship might be a desire to be fully known and loved. Underneath all those desires may be a deeper longing that nothing in this world can fulfill.
Jesus speaks directly to that longing when He says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35, ESV). Jesus doesn’t promise that following Him will give us everything we want. He offers something better: Himself.
The Christian life isn’t about learning to stop wanting things. It’s about learning to want what is truly worth having. As God changes our hearts, He changes our desires. We begin to see that the things we once thought would finally satisfy us were never going to fulfill us. And we discover that our deepest joy isn’t found in getting everything we want, but in personally knowing the One who made us.
Maybe that’s why we’re never quite satisfied with everything this world has to offer. We were made for more. Not more possessions, more experiences, or more success. We were made for God.
And when we find our satisfaction in Him, we can enjoy the good things He gives us without asking them to be our everything.
That’s the question at the heart of Haven Today’s new series, Made for Happiness, with David Wollen and special guest Andrew Wilson. What if the things we’re chasing to make us happy aren’t what we were made for at all? And what if becoming holy is actually teaching us where lasting happiness can be found?
Happiness: What It Is, Where to Find It, and How to Make It Last Forever
“You can’t buy happiness.” We all know the saying, yet the search for lasting joy continues to shape our choices, relationships, and ambitions.
In Happiness, Andrew Wilson uniquely explores one of life’s most universal longings through the lenses of Scripture, theology, philosophy, psychology, and sociology. Addressing six essential questions about human flourishing, he reveals how true happiness isn’t found in circumstances or achievements, but in a relationship with Christ.
Our deep desires—and the heart of our happy God—point us toward the lasting joy that can only be found in Him