Let us suppose that you have a single lemon in your hand and that you have a 2 gallon bucket underneath the lemon. You are going to attempt to squeeze, from that single lemon, 2 gallons of lemon juice. In fact, you are dead-set, & your mind is made up, that you can get 2 gallons of lemon juice from that single lemon. Will you be successful in filling that 2 gallon bucket with the juice from that single lemon? The clear answer is, “No, you won’t!” You can squeeze that lemon with all your might, but you won’t come even close to even cover the bottom of the bucket, much less fill it up to the 2 gallon level.
There is a parallel to life with this illustration. I want you to think of everything from which, & everyone from whom, you derive satisfaction & joy in this life. This can range anywhere from relationships, hobbies, work, athletics, or anyone (& anything) else. God has given to all of us, in His pleasure, people & tasks to enjoy in this life. I see nothing in the Bible that says to despise His good worldly gifts to us. Instead, we are to be grateful, we are to manage these gifts properly, & we must do so in the way He’d have us to do so (staying with properly-revealed moral boundaries within relationships or business, etc.). Our problem is this: We often want to “squeeze” more out of these gifts than is possible. We have our “2 gallon bucket” (our hearts desire for pleasure/enjoyment), & we take these single “lemons” (God’s gifts to us) & we try to “squeeze” 2 gallons from each one.
What will be the result of attempting to squeeze 2 gallons of satisfaction from a single lemon? There are at least two results: First of all, we will be dissatisfied with the output of the gifts God has given us. We try to obtain more from these gifts than is possible. These gifts from God are not meant to carry the “weight” of that type of output. For example, someone who expects too much out of a relationship will kill that relationship because it was not meant to carry that type of “weight.” We, in those instances, are expecting, for example, that a small puppy carry a piano. The puppy will get crushed by the piano. So, we will be left disappointed, bitter, & even resentful of the gifts God has given us to enjoy if we expect too much from them. We must “shrink” our “2 gallon bucket” to fit the output of that single lemon, accordingly.
There is a second result from expecting too much from God’s gifts, & it is this: We cannot properly enjoy those gifts. Think again of the lemon illustration. Just because one cannot get 2 gallons of output from a single lemon, does it then follow that one cannot get ANY lemon juice to enjoy from that lemon? Not at all! We ARE meant to enjoy the lemon juice from that lemon, JUST NOT 2 GALLONS OF IT! We should enjoy God’s gifts, & He has given us His gifts for us to take pleasure in, but the CONTEXT of enjoying those gifts must be paralleled Not to a 2 gallon output, but to a much smaller output. In other words, if we’ll adjust our expectations of God’s gifts, & what they are DESIGNED to provide us, then we can INDEED derive great joy from them! They are designed by God to bring us joy, so we must enjoy them with God’s design, & not with our skewed design!
If we cannot get 2 gallons of satisfaction from God’s gifts, then from where can we derive this satisfaction? For what, or for WHOM are we searching? Simply, only God is big enough to fill us. One writer has said that trying to find complete satisfaction in the things of this world (in “creature-comforts”) is comparable to trying to fill up the Grand Canyon by tossing one small pebble at a time into it. People & tasks & accomplishments & hobbies are simple not “big enough” to ultimately fill us. We are looking for Someone else. All joys down here are but the echoes, while we are actually seeking the source of the sound itself (an idea from C.S. Lewis). All joys here below is but the scent, while we are seeking the flower itself (per C.S. Lewis). We must find ways to Connect with God in this life, or we will expect too much from this life. We will destroy the good gifts God has given us if we do not remember that He is the One Whom we are ultimately searching. Until we realize that God Himself is The Gift, then all other gifts God gives us will be swallowed up & disdained. We will continue to put people & stuff in the place of God unless we are pursuing God as well. Then, as we find joy & hope in Him (through His Son, Jesus Christ, & salvation in His name alone), will we be able to properly enjoy & find the right amount of satisfaction from the gifts God has given us down here.
QUESTIONS:
1. What “lemons” (God’s good gifts) in your life are disappointing you because you are expecting more output than they can produce?
2. What are some ways you can adjust your expectations so that you can properly enjoy God’s gifts in your life?
3. What are some ways that you can pursue God so that you can find greater joy & satisfaction in Him?