While growing up, everything I did was done in anticipation and consideration of my future. I put high expectations on myself to do well in school and extracurricular activities. The pressure I put on myself was mostly because I felt gratified and validated by my successes and achievements. However, the long-term goal was to be accepted into university so that I could have a successful career and not need to worry about financial hardship. My ideal life was a comfortable one.
As I approached my senior high school years, I really started to feel discontent that this was to be my lot in life. All the hard work I had and would have to put in were all to gain earthly comfort and security. Around that time, one of my school mates was involved in an accident which took her life. I was faced with the reality that life is full of uncertainties. Anything could happen tomorrow, and everything I worked for to attain for myself would no longer matter.
There was a huge hole that I was trying to fill in my life. I did not see the point in pouring all of my effort and energy into things that would not and could not satisfy me and bring me lasting joy and peace. For the next three years, God began to show me, more and more, that the things I was searching for – lasting fulfilment, joy and peace – could not be found in the things of the world. Not in money, not in material possessions, not in knowledge, not in achievements, not in experiences, and not even friends and family. In fact, as I read more of His Word, and committed to seeking more of who God is, I discovered that He is good, righteous, just, faithful, loving and all-surpassing in worth.
I realised that God is truly the only one who can satisfy the deepest needs and desires of my heart (John 6:35). I am now still on that journey of discovering, through Jesus Christ, who God is. However, I have seen and tasted enough to know that God is worth pursuing with my whole life, for there is nothing that can compare to the riches of His glory.
Philippians 3:7-8 “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.”
Juliana Chuey
Bachelor of Biomedical Science
UQ2
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