Satisfaction

“If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” - C. S. Lewis

I have a funny memory of being a kid and walking around the Tanque Verde Swap Meet (when it was still at Tanque Verde and Kolb!). One of the vendors was blaring I Can’t Get No Satisfaction for all the patrons to enjoy. Of course, I didn’t really connect with it at that young age with it being a goofy rock song with some less than elegant lyrics. Yet, within these grammatically challenged themes, we find a universal truth we have all experienced at one time or another. 

Some of us will seek to find satisfaction in food or drink, while for others it’s sex, shopping, drinking, drugs, status, or acceptance (the list goes on). Whatever it is, it begins with a simple desire. That desire may even be for something good, like the desire to find a spouse or a place to live; the problem is when we expect it to provide complete fulfillment or satisfaction. As I have mentioned before, I have been married for 19 years to an amazing wife that I am incredibly grateful for and have joyfully forsaken all others for, and yet, she is not made to fulfill me or or satisfy me; that is simply not her job, nor is it mine for her. 

Sarah makes an amazing wife and mother to our two children, but she makes a terrible god. I would hope she would also say the same about me, because reality is…. we were not created to be gods, nor were we creating to find fulfillment in this world (or anything in it for that matter). 

So, we can continue to chase the pleasures of this world but they will never satisfy us. Ever.  The Lewis quote I began with is such a profound truth that I keep it in front of me constantly; it reminds me that we are not made for this world, rather, the very one who created it! Every person, whether they have a relationship with Jesus or not is longing to be at home with Him. The chasing of the deceptive pleasures of this world for satisfaction, is like chasing the wind: you will never catch it. 

The Bible says that  “…God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.” - Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT)

We are not satisfied with the things of this word because we are not of this world. We are made to be satisfied by God. He is eternal and powerful, he desires our worship and only He can fulfill our every need. We will be looking at this closely this weekend. I hope you can join us! 

Together we will be signing This Beating Heart to consider that when our hearts are beating for Christ, we will find our place and our satisfaction. We will continue worshipping by singing One Thing Remains because in 1 Corinthians 13, we see that the only thing that remains forever is God’s love; it is our future. Finally, we will be bringing back the classic Revelation Song to let our hearts wander around the imagery John used as he experienced the glory of heaven in Jesus’ revelation to him.