Whether we are familiar with that terminology or not, we are all familiar with the sense that we are in endless pursuit of something which we cannot find. According to Wikipedia, a rat race is an “endless, self- defeating, or pointless pursuit.” Imagine a bunch of rats running around in a maze in search of cheese. They can smell the cheese, so they are sure that it is there somewhere. Every rat wants to be the first to get the cheese so there is a lot of running, trampling, clawing, biting, and general melee to get to the cheese. Sadly, none of these rats will find the cheese, because it has been removed and only the scent remains. Little crumbs may be lying around in the maze, but certainly not enough to satisfy even one hungry rodent.

One person thinks it is wealth. Another thinks that it is love. Others think that it is popularity, or power, or any number of different things. The problem is that even when one catches up with what he thinks will satisfy, he finds that he is still unsatisfied.  John D. Rockefeller, often considered the richest man in the modern era, was once asked, “How much money is enough?” His answer was very telling about the endless nature of the pursuit of happiness. He responded, “Just a little bit more.” The truth is that true happiness and contentment don’t come from the achievement of goals, but rather from a relationship with the One who has created us. Only when we know Him can we fulfill our purpose in this life and find the One for whom our soul thirsts.

The truth is that true happiness and contentment don’t come from the achievement of goals, but rather from a relationship with the One who has created us.

About the rat race, a wise king of ancient times declared, “Vanity! Vanity!” He had pursued much of what people today pursue and as a wise and wealthy king he had achieved his goals. Yet, from his position of great success, he declared it to be a waste and worth than useless. He was like a rat who had finally figured out that there was no cheese in the maze.

Compare this wealthy king to a man who appeared to be a weary traveler alongside a highway in ancient Samaria. Presently a woman approached the well near to where he sat. He could tell that this woman was unsatisfied with life and offered her a drink of water which would satisfy the longing of her soul. Confused, she questioned how he would get such water out of the well without a bucket. He revealed that the water which he was referring to is not H2O, but rather a relationship with God Himself.  That weary traveler was none other than Jesus.

Jesus would not have been on that road that day if He did not want people to have a relationship with God. As God the Son, Jesus left the glories of Heaven to extend an invitation to people in a rat race. He invites us to have a personal relationship with God. He paid a great price to make that relationship possible. Today He is asking, “Are you tired of the rat race?” If you are, He is inviting you also to come and take a drink that will forever satisfy.

If you would like to start a relationship with God and want to know how, please call us to set up a time where we can sit down and talk about it. It would be our great joy to introduce you to your greatest friend.