The Short Term Fix

I’m all alone in my house.

The kids are at school.  My husband is at work.  I can smell the coffee brewing in the kitchen and all I can hear is the hum of the filter in the aquarium.

… It’s heavenly.

I don’t have to try and hear over the noise.  I’m not fighting for attention.  There are no small people tugging on me to feed them or scratch their back.

While I appreciate how well my family fills our home with excitement and joy, I relish times like these because I can just… be.  I can sit and soak and listen for God to speak.

It’s just me and Him… and I am a captive audience.

It’s one of the ways I fill my bucket.

The truth is – we all need our buckets filled regularly.

But all too often, we neglect that need and eventually find ourselves… dry.  We feel emotionally drained.  We become cranky and snarky and easily annoyed.

Am I in good company? 

And when we find ourselves parched, there’s nothing left to give those we love.

So often when we find ourselves in that desperate state, we reach for a quick fix.

• We dive into food for comfort.
• We read trashy novels to escape.
• We spend money we don’t have.
• We drink to numb ourselves.
• We visit sites on the Internet that we don’t have business visiting.

Make no mistake, the world is ready and willing and waiting to offer us that… quick fix… whenever we need it.

We can shop, eat, drink, read and watch things that promise to “make us feel better,” but those things fall short every time.

… And if we feel satisfied at all, it’s fleeting.

But God.

Our Heavenly Father provides more than a temporary fix.  He promises to fill all your needs in a healthy way.

Philippians 4:19 tells us so.

“My God will richly fill your every need in a glorious way through Christ Jesus.”

While our flesh tells us to feast on the worldly offerings, we know that only God can offer a lasting way to fill our bucket.

Maybe it’s as simple as asking God for more of… Him.  Asking Him to fill that empty space?

Maybe it’s YOU being more available for filling.  What if you:

• Spent time in the mountains or at the ocean admiring His creativity in nature?
• Danced around the house listening to praise music (or Big Hair bands of the 80′s)?
• Gathered friends for food and fun and talking about how God is working in your lives?
• Journaled your thoughts?
• Read the Bible or some other faith-building book?
• Spent time talking to God… and listening?
• Meditated on a particular scripture, digging for the truth?

Listen… the world is ready to fill you up at any given moment.

It’s willing to accommodate your every need and desire.

It’s constantly telling you… it’s all about… you.

And sometimes that sounds so good.

But what if you turned away from the world’s prescription for happiness, ignored those temptations for a fast fix… and instead look towards God who says…

“I’ll meet every need, and then some.”

When you’re feeling dry…

when you are at the end of your rope…

when you are ready to throw in the towel…

when you have nothing left to give…

take God up on His promise.

Do it different this time.

Look towards the only One who can fill the empty places in your life… and fill them to overflowing.

Friends, everything else is a short-lived fix.

REALITY CHECK:  A quick fix is easy to get, but fails to satisfy. Don’t waste your time with what the world has to offer.

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©2013 Carey Scott

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