Satisfied
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Matthew 5:6 (LSB)
Let us ponder for a moment the significance of satisfaction, and dissatisfaction in the world today. It appears every time I make a purchase online, take my car in for service, or do a host of other activities, I will soon find that email inquiring if I am satisfied.
On the other hand, in the past week, Apple unveiled new iPhones. How many people will be placing their order immediately, not because there is anything wrong with their existing phone, but because they must have the latest and greatest? In a very tangible way, dissatisfaction drives our economy.
What is satisfaction? I turned to AI for an answer. Here was the reply: “Satisfaction is the fulfillment of one’s wishes, expectations, or needs, or the pleasure derived from this. It can also refer to the quality or state of being satisfied. The word “satisfaction” has its roots in Latin “satisfacere” which means “to satisfy, content.”
When Jesus said that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, will be satisfied, there is a strong implication, that everything else will leave us unsatisfied. The preacher in Ecclesiastes observed: Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. Ecclesiastes 1:8 (NLT)
Looking for Satisfaction
In 1965, the Rolling Stones started singing a number one hit. The lyrics begin, “I can’t get no satisfaction. I can’t get no satisfaction. ‘Cause I try, and I try, and I try, and I try.” In an era of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll, that song encapsulated the futility of searching for fulfillment, and even joy and happiness in the pursuit of worldly pleasures.
The new University of Colorado football coach and former NFL Superstar Deion Sanders had it all, but he said he still felt a deep emptiness inside. “I tried everything. Parties, women, buying expensive jewelry and gadgets, and nothing helped. There was no peace. I had everything the world has to offer, but no peace, no joy, just emptiness inside.”
In 1971, Gospel singer and composer, Lanny Wolfe recorded a song, to less fanfare than the Rolling Stones, but it accurately identifies the problem of seeking satisfaction in the things that this world has to offer us. Here is how the song begins:
The world will try to satisfy that longing in your soul,
You may search the wide world over but you’ll be just as before.
You’ll never find true satisfaction until you’ve found the Lord,
For only Jesus can satisfy your soul.
Several hundred years earlier, the French philosopher and theologian, Blaise Pascal observed, “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.”
What Do You Crave?
When Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied,” there is a strong implication, that everything else will leave us unsatisfied. Solomon observed: Just as Death and Destruction are never satisfied, so human desire is never satisfied. Proverbs 27:20 (NLT)
Other pursuits may provide temporary enjoyment, even satisfaction, though desiring anything other than God is bound to fail. Living a life with the goal of pleasing God often requires denying ourselves what is right at hand.
Moses had all the privileges and pleasures of Egypt available to him. Yet, when the time came to make decisions about the course of his life, he chose ultimate satisfaction over immediate gratification. He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. Hebrews 11:25 (NLT).
Self-denial is not a celebrated attribute for most of us. The inclination is toward indulgence, especially self-indulgence. The preacher said:
Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors. But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere. Ecclesiastes 2:10–11 (NLT).
The craving for pleasure turns out to be meaningless. It is quite a contrast to what Jesus said: Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9:23 (NLT). When we discover what is real and lasting, giving up our own way is not really a sacrifice.
Satisfied Contentment
Our circumstances and situations are often in flux, especially in today’s world. Things that used to be stable can no longer be relied upon. Someone once said, “Stop the world, I want to get off.” How can we be satisfied when things keep changing?
Things are always changing, since the beginning of time, but there do seem to be periods in history when the rate of change seems accelerated. There is not much that we can do to stop change, but how do we find satisfaction in the midst of chaos?
We must begin by redefining what brings us contentment and satisfaction. The mantra of the world is “I can’t get no satisfaction.” Whether it is looking for love in the wrong places or believing that the accumulation of wealth are pleasure will bring fulfillment, everyone discovers that it’s like the Preacher said, “it was also meaningless-like chasing the wind.”
Paul discovered the secret of contentment: …I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:11–13 (NLT).
Our inner cravings, fortified by this world’s system cannot be overcome in our own strength alone. Philippians 4:13 is often taken out of context, but the essence is that we will be able to handle anything that this world throws at us through Christ. As the song reminds us, “Only Jesus can satisfy your soul.”
Steve Ekeroth
Dear Elder Steve;
Joan and I are on the East Coast, just outside of DC…where what is craved is power at any cost…and oh, is it costly. Our heart is to see Christ glorified…and his will being done on earth as in heaven…I know this is your heart as well. Excellent, challenging and encouraging word.