When I think of the word, satisfied, I think of the refrain from the classic rock song by The Rolling Stones. You know the one.

“I can't get no satisfaction
I can't get no satisfaction
Gonna try and I try and I try and I try
I can't get no -
I can't get no -"

(If you are Gen Z or Alpha and have no idea what I’m talking about, I encourage you to further your musical education by delving into your grandpa’s record collection!).

Anyway, all that trying sounds like a lot of effort for very little payback. I feel like most of us live this song in so many areas of our lives. We work hard for that raise or that promotion at work. We bend over backwards to get approval from friends and loved ones. We try to fill an emotional void with more “stuff“ or distractions. It goes on and on, like a hamster on a treadmill- our efforts to feel happy or satisfied.

But what if true satisfaction and happiness does not come merely from beneficial circumstances? What if true happiness is a deep well that can’t be gained by the pursuit of our own pleasure, but only by soaking in the presence of a Person infinitely more flawless than we can imagine; or in the pursuit of endeavors which this Person deems important? What if our sense of contentment is completely tied in with prioritizing the presence of God and doing what He loves?

Scripture says this: 

“Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭37‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

These are promises from the Creator of the universe, in His word. 

Here are a few steps I recommend to help exit the rat race of performance or greed as a means of gaining contentment in life:

1. Prioritize personal pursuit of the presence of God. Daily. (Prayer, praise, & Bible time).
2. Set boundaries on the digital influences in your life. Limit screen time, use a physical bible, don’t let your phone be the last thing you look at before you go to bed or the first thing you pick up when you wake up.
3. Find one thing – one area of service where you feel called to serve and will gain no attention by doing so. That last part is very important. Many people want to be up front, where they can be noticed, but what’s more important are the times when we serve and only God sees. If you are called to an “up front” ministry, you need to make sure you are doing some things that nobody knows about. This keeps us humble before God. Not everything we do needs to be on social media or noticed by people. 
4. Be generous. With your money and your time. Temporal things can’t bring eternal happiness. Making a sacrifice of convenience so you can give more might seem counterintuitive, but in the long run the verse “It is better to give than to receive” rings true.
5. Be PRESENT. When you are with your family or your friends, be present. Give them your full attention. Lock your phone and put it away if you need to – because the people in your life are worth your attention. In our home, we have a ‘no phones at the dinner table’ policy. When I go to lunch with someone I try to enact the same principle, because when we come to the end of our days, we won’t look back and say, “Gee, I wish I spent more time on my phone”. Giving our loved ones the gift of attention will also save a lot of regret down the line. 

Ultimately, we were not created to find lasting contentment in things or achievements. We, all of us, were created with a God-shaped-hole that only our creator can fill. 

Let’s pray:

Heavenly Father, we thank you for your presence in our lives. We set aside the distractions and the fruitless pursuit of satisfaction outside of you. We know that you are good and you want the best for each one of us, so we open our hearts and our lives to your direction. Today we ask that you help us focus on you and lead us to what pleases you. Open our eyes to see you everywhere we go, and help us to rest and be content in YOU. In Jesus’ name, Amen.