The Key to Satisfaction
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Matthew 5:6, NASB
Solomon wrote, “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 5:10). Money is power to the worldly, and it enables them to purchase what they want. Very few people today could compare to Solomon’s wealth and power, yet even he wasn’t satisfied—and he had the wisdom to understand that. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6, NASB). If you believed that, what would you be doing?
What causes individuals to be dissatisfied is seldom related to what enables them to be satisfied. When people complain about the potholes in the roads, the hard chairs at church or the temperature of the auditorium, are they satisfied when their complaints are heard and the problem’s fixed? Maybe for short time, but they will soon find something else to complain about because they are dissatisfied with life. This is why it is so unproductive for church leaders to run around putting out fires. As soon as one is out, another one will start. These leaders are investing their time in that which causes dissatisfaction and not on what causes people to be satisfied. What satisfies people is meaningful ministries that bear fruit and quality relationships with God and others. Seldom will you see a Christian bearing fruit who isn’t satisfied.
Quality is the key to satisfaction. Satisfaction comes from living righteously and seeking to raise the level of quality in relationships, service and products. To raise the level of satisfaction, you have to focus on raising the quality. Have you ever been satisfied with an inferior product you made? Have you ever been satisfied with a poor performance or service? You will be a lot more satisfied if you do a few things well than a lot of things in a mediocre way. The same holds true for relationships. You don’t need a lot of superficial friends. “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).
We all need a few close friends who value a quality relationship. What about your most important earthly relationship—your marriage relationship? If you are not satisfied in your marriage, you will not solve it with gifts or promises. You will only solve it by being reconciled to God and each other in a righteous way. That is why superficial reconciliation leaves everybody dissatisfied. Materialists strive for quality possessions and invest a lot in maintaining them, but that doesn’t equate to quality of life. If they put the same amount of energy and time into quality relationships, they would be a lot more satisfied.
Quality, not quantity, is what Jesus modeled. He occasionally taught the multitudes (see Mark 6:34), and He did equip 72 workers (see Luke 10:1-17), but He invested most of His time with His 12 disciples. Out of those 12, He selected only three to be with Him on the Mount of Transfiguration (see Mark 9:2) and the Garden of Gethsemane (see Mark 14:32-33). Finally, there was only one who stayed with Jesus at the foot of the cross—John—and to this disciple, Jesus entrusted the care of His mother (see John 19:26-27).
a few questions to ponder:
Why are so many people, who have so many things, so dissatisfied?
Why is the focus on resolving people’s dissatisfactions a futile pursuit?
Why is quality and not quantity the key to satisfaction?
How did your answer to “I would be more satisfied if . . .” compare to this lesson?
How can you raise your level of satisfaction?
Neil T. Anderson is the founder of Freedom in Christ Ministries. He began the ministry in 1989 and continues to spread the message of freedom to this day.