Are you successful but unfulfilled?

In 1987 the Minnesota Twins baseball star Kirby Puckett saw a childhood dream come true when he led his team to a World Series championship. Greg Gagne, the Twins’ shortstop, described the scene in the clubhouse after their win. He related the hugging, the shouting, the laughing, the obligatory dousing of champagne over the players’ heads, and the presentation of the trophy. But the memory that would stick with him forever, he said, took place ten minutes into the celebration when he noticed the normally ebullient Puckett sitting silently on a stool away from everyone else. Gagne wove his way through the media, players, and coaches, sat down beside Puckett and asked him what he was thinking about. With deep sadness in his eyes, Puckett said, “If this is all there is to it, life is pretty empty.” Can you relate? You may have a great job, an excellent salary, a fine house, a wonderful family, good health, and even a low golf handicap—but no real peace. If so, you’re not alone. There are multitudes of people out there just like you. King Solomon’s fame spread throughout the world. In his day he had more money than Bill Gates and Warren Buffett combined. Yet he wrote, “When I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 2:11 NIV). What answer did Solomon come up with? “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV).