How to Find Fulfillment
He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.
Psalm 145:19
Fulfillment is related to your calling in life. God has a place of ministry for you, and it is important to your sense of fulfillment to realize what that is. Fulfillment is discovering your own uniqueness in Christ and using your gifts and talents to edify others and glorify the Lord. Start by considering the roles you occupy in which you cannot be replaced. For instance, there are more than seven billion people in this world, but you are the only person who can be someone’s sister, brother, father, mother, coworker, neighbor or special friend.
One mother was puzzled by young ladies who entered the workforce to find their fulfillment in the world. She thought, What could be more fulfilling, challenging or rewarding than to raise godly children in this world? A businessman wondered about his coworkers who stepped on each other’s backs and neglected their families in order to get ahead so that they could be “fulfilled” in their work. He thought, What can be more fulfilling than to be a good witness at work where I serve the Lord and make provision for my family?
We all occupy a unique role as ambassadors for Christ where we live, work and play. These are our mission fields, and we are the workers whom God has appointed for the harvest. Our greatest fulfillment comes from accepting and occupying God’s unique place for us to the best of our ability. We can always pray for the people in our world and look for opportunities to share the love of Christ with them. We may be their only link to the Church and to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
As we search for our role in life and in the Church, we must be on the lookout for any potential cause for lack of fulfillment. We must not fall into the trap of the young student who once quizzed his teacher, “What is my spiritual gift—prophecy or exhortation?” The teacher replied, “I don’t think it is either one. If anyone has the gift of service, you certainly do. I have seen you move instinctively to meet the needs of others.” The disappointed student replied, “I knew it.” We will never be fulfilled trying to become somebody we aren’t, seeking gifts that others have, or aspiring to a ministry we are not qualified to do. The only way to be fulfilled in life is to discover our own potential and uniqueness in Christ and become that to the glory of God.
Jesus fulfilled His calling even though there was so much more that others wanted Him to do. In His last breath, He was able to say, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Paul also fulfilled his calling. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). He said to Timothy, “But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:5, NASB). Habakkuk felt fulfilled as he concluded his work: “I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights” (Habakkuk 3:18-19). In the midst of dire circumstances, that is one of the strongest affirmations of faith in all the Bible.
A few questions to ponder:
How is fulfillment related to a person’s unique calling in life?
As believers in Christ, how can we find fulfillment in any situation where God has placed us?
What is the harm in trying to be someone we aren’t or in seeking something God never intended us to have?
Which of your daily activities do you find to be most fulfilling? Why?
How can life be more fulfilling for you?
Neil T. Anderson is the founder of Freedom in Christ Ministries. He began the ministry in 1989 and continues to spread the message of freedom to this day.