Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) is one of the best medical diagnosticians in the world. He is renowned for his encyclopedic knowledge, which helps him figure out what is wrong with people. He is also notorious for his unconventional tenacity.
So what drives this great doctor?
It turns out House needs his "highs" just like anyone else. He has two main sources of fulfillment: Vicodin and medical intrigue.
In Season 3's "Meaning" (beware, spoilers ahead), House finally gets a taste of life apart from his pain meds. As a side effect of his recent medical procedure (gunshot wound from last episode), he now feels no pain in his leg (yet another episode) and therefore does not need to pop Vicodin all day to stay functional.
This might seem like a good thing at first glance, but he soon finds himself missing his beloved highs. So he latches onto the only drug he has left: the rush of figuring out impossible medical conditions. By the end of the episode, he dazzles everyone yet again by curing a man who has been paralyzed for the last eight years. His colleagues know that he accomplished this, but they don't tell him, and they deliberately avoid telling him about it.
What does this mean for House? It means he has been denied of both his drugs. Thus, before the end of the episode, he writes himself a prescription for Vicodin so he can get at least one of them back.
Is there a good kind of "high?" Is it wrong to desire some kind of high?
I submit that God designed us to desire some kind of "high," or rush, or powerful motivation for doing the things we do. He designed us to need motivation to function or even maintain some level of sanity. Thus, there is a good kind of "high," which comes from drawing closer to God.
Helping needy people is a more productive way to feel high than ingesting drugs, but this is still limited. Even the best-intentioned person in the world has to question their motivation for helping others eventually and, when they do, what will be their answer? It makes them feel good? It makes them feel important, or part of a greater cause?
Feeling satisfied with one's direction in life or feeling good about oneself is only a side effect. These things are not enduring motivations or purposes for existing.
Not to worry, though... the truth is simple: Jesus Christ is the End-All. He is the Beginning, Middle and End for all who have the good sense to surrender to Him. He is the only Food that fills. He is the Highest Cause. He is the Ultimate Truth.
Accomplished men such as Dr. Gregory House would like to think this is foolish or overly simplistic, but this is only a defense mechanism. The Answer is extremely straightforward, and that is a good thing. The simplicity of dying in Christ is purposeful, an aide for those who are willing, though this might be a stumbling block to the world's elite.
House acknowledges God, but he lacks the fortitude to go the next logical step and give himself over to God. This would be an extremely difficult choice for anyone who has so much self-aggrandizement to lose.
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