Youth Q&A: The Struggle For Wanting More
This question was sent in by a student during a Q&A session with the Good Fight Youth Group:
“The goals of happiness — fame, wealth, success — are all avenues that lead to wanting more. What is a way to recognize and combat the desire of wanting more?”
The desire for “more” isn’t just something we wrestle with — it’s a story we tell ourselves, over and over again.
It’s woven into our culture, our media, and even the songs we love.
There’s a classic trope in media called the “I Wish” song, and you can find it in almost every musical marketed to young people.
Think about Disney’s classic “I Wish” songs.
These moments in the story are where the characters open their hearts and bare their deepest longings.
It’s compelling because we see ourselves in it. We’ve all felt that ache for more — for connection, adventure, or something beyond what life is offering us right now.
Snow White: The Desire for Connection
Snow White, the first Disney princess, sings about her longing for love while standing at a wishing well.
I’m wishing
For the one I love
To find me
Today
Her song expresses a deep human desire — to be loved, valued, and cherished.
And it’s not just Snow White’s story — it’s ours. We all want to be chosen, to be seen, to feel like we matter.
But here’s the truth: If we try to fill that longing with human relationships or external achievements alone, we’ll never be satisfied.
Those things can be beautiful gifts, but they were never meant to complete us.
Belle: The Desire for Freedom and Meaning
Then there’s Belle from Beauty and the Beast.
Her song is less about love and more about longing for adventure and freedom (which Is why I personally relate to it the most):
I want adventure in the great wide somewhere
I want it more than I can tell
And for once it might be grand
To have someone understand
I want so much more than they’ve got planned
She’s not content with her small-town life. She wants to break free from the mundane, to experience something extraordinary.
And doesn’t that resonate with us?
So many of us feel trapped by our circumstances, longing for purpose, meaning, and a life that feels bigger than our own.
The problem is, when we chase purpose apart from God, we end up running in circles.
True purpose isn’t found in adventure or success; it’s found in living for the One who created us.
Ariel: The Desire for Something Beyond
Ariel’s “I Wish” song in The Little Mermaid is perhaps the most explicit about the longing for more. She looks at the human world and aches to be part of it:
I’ve got gadgets and gizmos aplenty
I’ve got whosits and whatsits galore
You want thingamabobs?
I got twenty
But who cares?
No big deal
I want more
Her yearning is raw and relatable. She doesn’t just want something different — she wants something beyond.
This longing for something “more” points to a deep truth about humanity. We weren’t made to find ultimate fulfillment in this world. C.S. Lewis said it beautifully:
“If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”
Ariel’s song reflects the same tension we all feel: We want more because we were made for more.
But the “more” we seek won’t be found in a new world, more possessions, or better circumstances.
It’s found in God.
The False Promises of the World
The world is really good at offering us counterfeit answers to this longing.
Fame. Wealth. Success. They all promise to fill the emptiness, to satisfy the ache.
But here’s the reality: They don’t.
- Fame makes you known, but it can’t make you loved.
- Wealth buys comfort, but it can’t buy peace.
- Success fuels your ego, but it can’t heal your soul.
These things are like chasing the wind — they’re fleeting, empty, and always leave you wanting more.
Recognizing and Combating the Desire for More
So, how do we combat this endless cycle of wanting more? Here are a few key steps:
1. Recognize the Root of the Longing
Ask yourself: What am I really chasing?
Is it security? Approval? Purpose?
Oftentimes, our desire for “more” isn’t really about the thing we’re pursuing — it’s about what we think it will give us. When you can name the deeper longing, you can invite God into that space to meet the need in a way the world never could.
2. Reframe the Desire for More
The longing for “more” isn’t inherently bad — it’s misdirected.
God created us with a desire for more because He is the ultimate “more.” The problem comes when we try to satisfy that longing with temporary things.
Psalm 16:11 says:
“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
The fullness we’re searching for is found in Him.
3. Practice Gratitude
One of the simplest ways to combat the desire for “more” is to practice gratitude for what you already have.
When you focus on God’s goodness and faithfulness in your life, your perspective shifts. Instead of fixating on what’s missing, you start to see the abundance that’s already there.
4. Anchor Yourself in Eternity
Fame, wealth, and success are temporary. They won’t last.
But the things of God — His love, His kingdom, His purpose — are eternal.
Colossians 3:2 says:
“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
When you focus on eternity, the things of this world lose their grip on you.
Final Thoughts
The desire for “more” is real. It’s powerful. But it doesn’t have to control you.
The next time you feel that ache, that restlessness, stop and ask:
Am I chasing the world’s version of “more”?
Or am I seeking the One who is more than enough?
Because in Him, and only in Him, will you find the satisfaction your heart is truly longing for.
