Some time ago, I ordered myself a heart-shaped keychain. I needed something to identify my keys, something with my name on it. Each of the keys are for something different, but they are all my keys.

In a way, God is a lot like a keychain full of keys. He is the key to peace; He is the key to joy; He is the key to wisdom; He is the key to truth; He is the key to true confidence and self worth; He is the key to love and compassion.

All of these qualities are unique and precious, yet they are all His. You cannot access my mailbox without my mailbox key. Your mailbox key won’t fit my mailbox, and your house key won’t fit my house. Likewise, you cannot access the fruits of the Spirit without The Holy Spirit. Peace has a God-shaped lock; joy has a God-shaped lock.

Keys are a means of accessibility. When we try to find true and lasting peace and joy outside of God, we are trying to gain access to something without the proper key!

For a long time, I believed I had access to peace, to joy, to fulfillment and lasting happiness. I called myself a Christian, but I didn’t really see God as the key. I saw myself and myself alone as the key to getting what I wanted. Little did I know, I just was not that powerful.

The problem is, we will so often try to fit our husbands or wives, our careers, our children, and our passions into a God-shaped lock. A God-shaped lock will only fit with a God-shaped key.

I’m grateful for my heart-shaped keychain. I’m grateful that all my keys are in one place and I don’t have to remember where I placed each one individually. Anytime I’m facing something that needs accessing, I have all my keys right in the palm of my hand. When I look at it, I’m reminded of God’s keychain, and I’m grateful that I don’t have to go looking for a relationship to gain access to peace, or go thrill-seeking to access excitement. I don’t have to depend on having children for me to access joy nor any specific career to give me purpose. I have the Holy Spirit living inside of me, the key to all of these things in one place.