By Timothy D. Holder
My wife and I recently toured a guy’s personal Wizard of Oz museum. It was filled with memorabilia from the movie/book. The man who conducted the tour was an expert on all things Oz, it seemed, including the star, Judy Garland. A few nights later, I saw part of a documentary comparing Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley. Interestingly, these three people had a lot in common. They were incredibly talented performers who made a bunch of money. They were beloved by millions. They could travel anywhere they wanted, and they could meet whomever they pleased. How many millions of people would have traded places with them if it was at all possible?
And yet all three of them were incredibly unhappy.
No matter how many people cheered for these superstars, no matter how many things they bought themselves, no matter how many of their desires were fulfilled, they never seemed to have peace.
The things so many of us strive for—recognition, money, influence—didn’t satisfy these three individuals. Most of us never realize the pointlessness of possessing these things as ends unto themselves because we spend our whole lives vainly pursuing them. If I make money, and I’m still not satisfied then I must need more money. That’s how our thinking goes. But as our three superstars have shown us, the attainment of these things doesn’t guarantee a happy ending.
God didn’t create us to have our emptiness filled with things. Ultimately, our emptiness can only be filled by Him.
