Explaining a search for purpose. Sharing systems for flipping houses. Living your best life now. Insert your hackneyed line here: _______. Why do events with these boringly predictable taglines continue to fill Marriot conference centers and a church in Houston lead by a “pastor” whose face and hair look like that of a Disneyland animatronic ride for kids? It’s because meaning in life matters to humans.

I’ve recently been presented with an amazing opportunity to shift career gears again. As I was weighing options, a smart person I know challenged me to define what turned out through the course of our conversation to be four terms. What does it mean to be: Busy, Productive, Happy, and Fulfilled? I don’t recall thinking with any level of seriousness about what these terms meant in relation to my career and position in life before that call. Starting a month or so ago, I started thinking through these four terms even though it drastically cut into my efforts to memorize dialog in all 9 seasons of Seinfeld.

As a Christian, my faith provides answers and guidance for the definition of these 4 challenging words and the examples are many. Some are below for your consideration.

Happiness (Joy)- This gives clear action and result.

“But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” 1 Peter 4:13

Busy– This provides a warning about business when elevating work over things of greater spiritual importance.

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things…” Luke 10:39-41

Productive– I can’t count the amount of times over the years I came back to this verse when my career simply felt as though I was “busy”.

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” Col 3:23

Fulfilled– (My thoughts below)

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.” Mat 6:19

“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Ps 37:4

In western culture in 2020, our collective and individual wealth is unimaginable to people of just a couple generations previous. The danger of fixing our heart, and therefore our desire, on things temporal is tremendous. When our desires are properly fixed on the Lord, true fulfillment can be realized since the target of that desire is the perfect living God. Anything less will be destroyed by the simple moth.