Authentic Fulfillment

     As a young boy my parents took our family to Disney World for the first time.  I remember looking up Main Street, gazing with awe and wonderment at Cinderella’s castle and all the “real life” characters of my Disney friends.  I was immersed into a magical world of enchantment, revealing new sensations and feelings of being in the middle of something larger than life.   Some years later we took another vacation to Disney World.  Of course, this time I knew Mickey and Goofy were just people in costumes, and if I wanted to I could apply for a job and dress up as one of them too.  But amidst my new knowledge of Disney the “business”… the park, rides and atmosphere was still larger than life, and I was easily swept away with its grandeur.

     I recently took another trip to Disney World on my honeymoon.  When I arrived at the Magic Kingdom, boyhood memories of wonder again filled my head.  But this trip, the reality of this “magic place” was quite clear to me.   I had done all the planning myself and worked behind the scenes with the “string pullers” for airline tickets, hotel reservations, park passes, and car rental services.  Although the trip with my new wife is one I will always treasure, the illusion of the Disney World magic had been exposed.  It was apparent that I was in the middle of something only as large as man could create.

     We all have the desire to be a part of something larger than ourselves, seek fulfillment, and satisfy our longings.  As Christians, we tend to believe the abundant life Jesus promises includes the fulfillment of worldly desires.  But as Christ tells us in Matthew 6:19, seeking worldly fulfillment only leads to loss and destruction.  So what keeps us moving toward God in the midst of man-made illusions of grandeur and importance?  I believe Peter knew the answer.  On one occasion, the crowds who were following Jesus left Him because they realized that they weren’t going to receive worldly satisfaction.  After seeing this, Jesus asked the Twelve if they wanted to leave Him, as well.  Peter said to Jesus in John 6:68,  "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.”  As Christians the Holy Spirit opens our eyes so that we can see past the illusion of what the world offers, and understand its man-made importance.  It is here that we realize there is no other place but in Christ to find eternal life.  It is here that we find perfect fulfillment of our longing to be a part of something that will never leave us empty.  It is here that we find our source of discipline and perseverance to walk the narrow road.