2. On insatiable desires and finite minds

Regardless of what I want, there seems to always be a limit to what my mind can do, to what it can think, and to even how long it can stay awake. It is what it is, I suppose.

But I find that there are few limits to my desires. My desires are insatiable. My desire for joy, my desire to hope, and my desire to love and be loved are all insatiable. I often try to satisfy those desires with things that are finite, such as my work, my relationships, and my hobbies. But with finite things comes finite satisfaction. Those things help, but only for a time.

The question then becomes, how does a creature with a finite mind, living in a finite world, and interacting with finite things, satisfy insatiable desires? I do not claim to know the absolute answer. I can only tell you what I believe as a Christian.

I believe there is an infinite God whose love can satisfy our insatiable desires. The delta between our finitude and insatiability can only be filled by Him. It is in Him that we “have life and have it more abundantly.” It is through Him that things begin to make more sense. He becomes the lens through which we see everything in our lives. And as a result, the things which seemed small and finite, all of a sudden, begin to look bigger and smaller at the same time. They begin to find their rightful place in our hearts because He sits on the throne of our heart. They seem bigger and more enjoyable, but we value them less because we are content in Him.

There seems to be a disconnect between our desires and our ability to satisfy those desires. Instead of seeing this as a bug, I think we should see it as a feature. It is a feature that can lead us to experience absolute comfort and to hope in a love that never fails and one that always satisfies.