Romans 14:17,19 “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit … Let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.”
Life is not found in acquisition, consumption, or status. Those things distract from life; they never fulfill our deepest desires. Ultimately, true life is found in relationships: firstly, with God and then with other human beings. The fruit of healthy, God-honoring, upbuilding relationships is a life full of righteousness, peace, and joy granted by God’s Holy Spirit living and active within us.
Father, thank you for filling my life with yourself. The sense of peace, joy, and fulfillment that I have comes directly from you. You are gracious, loving, patient, and gentle in guiding me to live a full life when so many times I’ve looked to other things (like career) to satisfy. Thank you for answering certain of my prayers with a firm and repeated “No.” Instead of getting what I asked for, you led me to the narrow road of abundant and meaningful life.