What do you do when you have everything, but you still aren't happy?

I have a supportive family. I have great friends. I go to a prestigious university that I love. Despite all that, I still feel as though my life isn't complete. I want the last puzzle piece. Surely if I find it, that will make me happy.

So, that leaves me asking myself, What is the last puzzle piece?

Is it my career? Do I need to focus my attention on my classes and finding job opportunities that will propel my career forward?

Is it a romantic relationship? Do I need to actively look for someone? But even I know that that's not how it works.

Is it a hobby that sparks my soul? I love reading and writing, but maybe I like chess, too? Or skydiving? A sport? How about painting?

Is it my image? Do people like me? Would they like me more if I wore makeup or did my hair? Maybe I should go shopping for a stylish new wardrobe...

Even thinking about all these things makes me slightly dizzy and highly stressed. There are so many options, and what if none of those are the missing piece that I am looking for?

Is it some obscure secret? Is it something right in front of my face?

It was right in front of my face.

I'm in a Christian fellowship here at UVA called Aletheia. We meet every Tuesday night to study the Bible. I went this Tuesday, expecting to learn about the book of the semester, Colossians. However, on top of that, I got something I hadn't realized I needed.

We ended up talking about how we forget to prioritize God, the one and only thing that will never perish. We find our value in grades, jobs, or relationships, and when those go south, we don't know what to do.

We're so busy idolizing our grades, our careers, our significant others, our self-image, our me-time, that we often lose focus of Jesus, the one idol that is stable in His grace and His love in a way that nothing else will ever be.

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever." - 1 John 2:15-17

So instead of trying to finding the missing piece, I came to the stark realization that I've had it all along. I pushed it aside, looking for "more important" pieces.

However, God is the centerpiece of the puzzle, of life. The sooner I not only realize this, but I truly believe it and implement it into my life is when I know that I'll find true happiness, true love, and true stability... something that nothing in this world can give me.