Are You Satisfied?

What do you want?

I know what I want, in fact there's quite a list of things right now. Here are the first few things that come to mind.

* Music gear. Some specific things, but really anything. I absolutely love playing around with new equipment.

* New skis. It seems practical since the season is approaching fast and I like to see how new technology applies to my favorite pastimes.

* Rest. Not necessarily sleep, but rest. I stay so busy, even though it's often with things that I enjoy, that I find myself simply worn out more and more often.

* Comfort. I'll admit it, my house is fairly cold. That's what happens when you're in college and have to pay for heat.

I frequently get frustrated by things that seem petty and unnecessary. Usually my first reaction to that is to focus on myself. What will make me feel better? How can I avoid dealing with this? Why am I involved in this in the first place? Such questions usually only lead to more frustration, and often a cycle develops and evolves into a day-long pity party. Recently I took an entire morning just to think and pray about a particular bothersome issue, and a few points stuck with me.

A contented believer is the sign of a satisfying Christ.

That sentence came up during a Bible study with the worship team over the summer, and has since been ringing in my head. Everything that I desire, everything I want at any given moment is extraneous if it is not Christ. Even when I become worked up and anxious about things, God is waiting to provide peace. When I worry about how to handle the situation, the Spirit is waiting to bring clarity. And if I sit here wishing I had a friend to talk to, He is waiting to surround me with love and comfort me fully.

Being content doesn't mean we can't desire things. I still wouldn't mind a new pair of skis, but that doesn't mean I'm not satisfied in Christ. However, the question that needs to be examined iswhat fulfills us? Is it the box with our name on it under the Christmas tree? Perhaps it's the people who are close to us, or our abilities that we take pride in. Even if those things provide some sense of happiness, how much greater satisfaction is waiting to be found in Christ? Or maybe we can still enjoy those things with the understanding that every good and perfect gift is from above (James 1:17). Our contentment in Christ can be shown in our acknowledgement that the things in this world which we love are given by Him.

We can still enjoy the things that we have in this world, but our satisfaction ultimately needs to be in Christ's sacrifice that redeemed us.