Some people work hard to earn a living for their family. Some people work hard to save money in order to buy the things that they want: new house, nice car, expensive gadgets, etc. But after buying all these things, why do people still feel empty deep inside? This feeling of emptiness fills their heart, and it’s suffocating them. They wanted to escape, but they just couldn’t.

I am guilty of satisfying my own desires by buying the things that I want. Sometimes, my obsession with material things is just too much to handle. I wanted to go shopping and buy new clothes, shoes, bags, and latest gadgets. I wanted to buy a new house. I wanted to buy a nice car for our family. I wanted to travel abroad with my family. I wanted to enjoy life because life as we know it is too short. We should be enjoying life, shouldn’t we? I used to compare the things that I have with the things that other people have. Why is their life better than mine? Life is unfair. Is God being unfair?

There’s more to life than wealth, success, and fame. I am grateful for the existence of the Bible. Thank God that I have one. The Bible contains God’s very own message for us. By reading the Bible, I was reminded that everything in life is useless and meaningless. These things don’t matter to God. When we constantly set our minds on earthly things, we are slowly drifting away from God ~ our Mighty Creator. I realized that true happiness cannot be found in wealth, success, or fame. True happiness can only be found in our intimate relationship with the Lord.

We think that we have everything we need to be happy. But the truth is if we don’t have God in our lives, we will never ever be contented and satisfied with what we have. Only God can fill the emptiness that we feel deep inside of us. He can satisfy the desires of our hearts. He can do amazing things far beyond our expectations if we only allow Him to take control of our lives. This simply means that we have to surrender everything to Him. Let go and let God.

Here are some verses from the Bible that remind us not to focus on material things:

“And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?” – Mark 8:36

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” – Colossians 3:2

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” – Matthew 6:19-20

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” – Hebrews 13:5

“Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.” – 1 Timothy 6:9