Are You Satisfied?   

Definition: Satisfied 1. To fulfill the desires, expectations, needs, or demands of a person, the mind, etc….

After a person has forsaken his natural longings he obtains a genuinely restful life. Formerly he had many desires. To satisfy them he planned, plotted and contrived, exhausting every ounce of his wisdom and power. His heart was in constant turmoil. But the child of God who purely follows the spirit and seeks not his own pleasure is satisfied with what God gives to him: and his restlessness immediately ceases. Watchman Nee

I have plenty of quiet time driving to work.  I spend a great deal of time on the toll road so there is plenty of thinking time.  It’s not that I am not watching where I am going; it’s that there are not that many people out there at 5:30 in the morning.  

This morning I was thinking about whether I was satisfied with my life or not.  Our pastor taught a sermon on idols that brought this to mind. We can make anything in our life an idol.  When I become dissatisfied with my car, my house, where I live, how much money I make or anything else in my life, it means I am not satisfied with what God has given me.  This becomes a slippery slope into sin doesn’t it?

It is so easy to fall into the trap of I need more.  We see someone else get something new and we want the same thing.  Satan slips into our thoughts and we start buying into what he is telling us; “You would be so much better off if you had _______”; insert anything I want that I don’t have already.  What kind of stupid thinking is that? 

I recently have been on a mission to get rid of stuff.  I have dishes I don’t need, utensils I haven’t used in years.  There are clothes in my closet that I haven’t worn in years.  I have stuff in my attic that hasn’t seen the light of day since we moved into our house.

One of the interesting things about stuff is the more we have of it, the more space it takes up in our lives. This also means we will need to spend more time figuring out what to do with it, where to put it and how much time to devote to taking care of it.  How will we ever find peace when we are spending all of our time taking care of our stuff? 

  

When we become dissatisfied with what we have and start longing for more things, we move further away from our Heavenly Father. As the quote above says, “our heart is in a state of constant turmoil” trying to figure out how we will get more.   My Heavenly Father has given me an abundant life in Him.  The key words here are “in Him”.  The only thing I desperately need in this world is my Heavenly Father.  Nothing else will ever compare to the life I have in Him. 

 

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I often think about owning nicer things or buying more stuff.  When my thoughts turn to wanting more, please help me to push Satan aside and turn to You.  You are all I need to satisfy me in this life on earth.  Thank You for reminding me of what is really important.  You.  I can be at rest and know peace with You and You alone. 

      

Scripture:   If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.  For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.  Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which yourselves once walked when you lived in them. Colossians 3:1-7

“Here is the man who did not make God his strength, But trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.”  But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.  I will praise You forever, because You have done it; and in the presence of Your saints I will wait on Your name, for it is good.  Psalm 52:7-9