Satisfaction # 3
The last couple of weeks we’ve looked at our search for satisfaction in this life. We have painted a bit of a bleak picture when it comes to ever finding any satisfaction in our lives. But, of course that does not have to be the end of this song. Maybe the Stones did not realize what could happen in a search for satisfaction in this world. Well, let’s take a look at how we can find some satisfaction in our lives.
We talked about how the search for wisdom can just lead to realizing just how much we do not know after all. It is true the more you know, the more you realize how much we do not know. Maybe if we stop and explore what wisdom do we really need to have? What is it that is really worth knowing? I mean there is plenty of stuff to know that will not do us any good, except at trivia night at our local tavern. As a person of faith I believe we need to ask God for the wisdom we need. James 1:5 in the New Century Version says “but if any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. He is generous and enjoys giving to all people, so he will give you wisdom.” I love how the verse says, “if you need wisdom…” I mean after all do any of us really want to get dumber? So we need to ask God to help us discern the wisdom we need. To give us the ability to learn what need to learn to make it through this life.
The hard thing sometimes is that we learn more through our mistakes and tough times than when things just roll along. So if I can realize that I have enough wisdom for the day I’m facing right now, I can let tomorrow take care of itself. I know we would like to know all we need to know, but that will not happen. I think wisdom comes to us as we need it in our lives. I also believe that if we get God into the mix, reading the Bible, praying and learning from others around us we will grow to where we need to be in our wisdom search. It is to be satisfied with what we know, realizing we may live on a need to know basis in our lives from now on. So satisfaction comes from knowing we know what we need to know for right now.
Work is work, there is no way around it. If we are going to eat it means we have to work. It is just a natural and sometimes unpleasant part of being human. So how do we find satisfaction in our life when it comes to working for a living? Solomon who we have quoted a lot wrote his thoughts in Ecclesiastes 9:9-10. “So enjoy the work you do here on earth. Whatever work you do, do your best, because you are going to the grave, where there is no working, no planning, no knowledge, and no wisdom.” Solomon encourages us to find joy in the work we are doing now. To give it all we have and maybe find joy in going home knowing we did our best that day at work. And if we are truly blessed we find joy in a job we love. Maybe having a job that we would do for free, but we are not going to say that out loud. So it is the joy we find in knowing we have done all we can to make the world better through our contribution of work that makes a job worthwhile. To be satisfied that you made a difference that day.
Then there is this whole idea about making sure I suck the marrow out of the bones of life. That I make sure there is not a pleasure I deny myself. I mean life is short shouldn’t I get everything I want? Why should I not let myself have all the chocolate cake, sex, booze and possessions? Well that has been a question that all people have struggled with and wondered about. The problem is that with all pleasure there comes a time when it ends. The cake is gone, sex is over, the bottle is empty and the car is old. If we try to find satisfaction in satisfying our desires we will be on a treadmill that we will not be able to ever unplug. I believe the only way to be satisfied in the pleasure area is to control our desires. The Apostle Paul wrote about this struggle when he wrote about how we need to become like athletes who train their bodies to win a race. He says in 1 Corinthians 9:25 that we should use self control to make sure we can win at life. We will either be a person who is looking for the next thrill in life or we will be someone who can look at themselves in the mirror each morning knowing we did our best the day before.
Having stuff seems to be the same as pleasure. We love our car until the neighbor pulls in next door with a new car. All of the sudden we begin to notice all the things we don’t like about our old junker. Solomon advised us in Ecclesiastes 6:9, “it is better to see what you have than to want more. Wanting more is useless—like chasing the wind.” He knew that our desire for the next, newest great thing could never be satisfied. In fact, businesses around the world gamble on that every day. Why else is there an iPhone X? They know that if the put new or improved on it then we will go and buy it. So we need to stop and find contentment in what we have now and realize that the newest and best will be there tomorrow.
Then there is the whole search of trying to find a higher power or a god who can satisfy us completely. I am a pastor of a church so what I’m going to say may surprise you a little. People have searched for satisfaction from religion for years and have tried all sorts of ideas and chasing meaning in the next religious practice that will fill a void they are missing. We try and fail and realize that a new practice will not bring a soul satisfaction we are looking for. Instead what if we stopped the practices and just honored God. Solomon was a follower of God, a Jewish king, and yet he worshipped all the gods of his wives and lost his way in a jumble of ideas and prayers. He advises us to quit making promises and just honor and respect God. He wants us to simply live by what you say you believe to put it another way. It means that you don’t stand and say Amen on a Sunday and then treat God like a familiar stranger during the week. Satisfaction comes when our religion actually changes our everyday life and the way we treat others.