Tom Brady just won his 7th Super Bowl. Cementing his legacy, if it wasn’t already cemented, as one of the greatest athletes of all time. He now has more Super Bowl wins than any other NFL team in history. Brady seems to have it all. The unmatched talent, the fame, a super model wife, and millions of dollars. Many people dream of a life like that.
Seeing Brady celebrate with the Lombardi trophy, yet again, caused me to think about an old interview he gave on 60 Minutes in 2005. He had just won his 3rd Super Bowl. He didn’t even know this was only the beginning for him. Steve Kroft asked Brady how it feels to have it all. Shockingly, Brady said he doesn’t feel like he has it all. Something is still missing. He reflected, “Why do I have 3 Super Bowl rings and still think there’s something greater out there for me? I mean, life’s gotta be more than this, right?” Even after accomplishing all his dreams and then some, Brady felt a sense of emptiness. That aching feeling that there’s something greater out there for him.
There is a God-shaped space in every soul and we will only find fulfillment when it’s filled up by our relationship with God. Idolatry happens when we try to fill that space with anything besides God. Our heart aches for something more so we try more money, sex, success or excitement, only to find that these provide a temporary high that quickly fades away. Today, we fast from trying to fill that God-shaped space with anything but God. I’m not sure if those next 4 Super Bowl rings gave Tom Brady the fulfillment he was looking for. I doubt it. There’s something even greater out there for us.