True, Lasting, Satisfaction

Now godliness with contentment is great gain.

For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.

Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

1 Tim 6:6-12

Being content with who we are begins with knowing first how corrupt, totally depraved, guilty and condemned we really are.

This leads us to our one and only Savior, Jesus Christ, who is the only one who can bring us peace with ourselves and with each other.

For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,

having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,

and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.

Eph 2:14-16

Godliness and contentment begins at the cross.

We are content and can grow in the image of Christ because the penalty for our sins has been satisfied by the finished work of Christ.

We put our faith in the work of Christ.

Holiness is the outworking of that faith.

This is what brings true lasting satisfaction and peace in our lives.

No relationship can work in the long term without first finding our pleasure and satisfaction in Christ. We can’t experience complete emotional satisfaction and happiness in a relationship with a person no matter how amazing that relationship is.

The most loving thing we can do is to point each other to Christ and His word, not to each other, ourselves, or our circumstances.

People disappoint; Christ satisfies.

We are complete in Him. What truly changes our attitude, is a heart of gratitude to Christ Jesus for our salvation.

Our only hope is in Christ.

If our hope is all wrapped up in finding an amazing person who will meet all our needs and make us happy for life, we will be sorely disappointed.

We will be miserable and make the other person miserable as well.

Relationships take a death to self in order to work.

They take a surrendering completely to Christ daily. When we keep our eyes on Jesus, pursuing His glory in all we do, Christ is our goal, our prize, our joy, even in trials.

I love what Beth Moore says in her book, Breaking Free,

“I ask Him to satisfy all my longings and fill all my hollow places with His lavish, unfailing love. This frees me from craving the approval of others and requiring others to fill my “cup.” Then, if someone takes the time to demonstrate love to me, that’s the overflow! I am free to appreciate it and enjoy it, but I didn’t emotionally require it! See how the love of God brings freedom? Not only am I freed; I am able to free others from having to boost me up emotionally all the time. Hallelujah! Where the Spirit of the Lord’s lavish love is, there is freedom!! Try it and see! If we’re not experiencing satisfaction in God, a hindrance exists, and we want to identify it and ask God to remove it. Ordinarily, the primary hindrance to satisfaction in our lives is refusing Him access to our empty places.”

Many marriages fail because they have not taken their commitment and covenant to God seriously.

Marriage is not about me or you. It is about Christ and His church and glorifying Him.

When couples become so focused on each other and wanting the other to please them and satisfy their every want and desire instead of focusing on the Lord, they will be disappointed and unhappy.

If your focus is off Jesus and onto yourself, people or circumstances, you will have problems in all your relationships.

How are your relationships at work, at school, with friends, with roommates and at home with your family? If there is not peace then look to your relationship with Christ.

The way we get satisfied in Christ is by feasting on His Word (Acts 20:32), prayer (Heb. 4:16), Biblical Fellowship (1 Peter 5:5,6) Serving Him (Rom 12:6), and Obedience (Phil. 2:12,13)

Are you getting fed daily in the Word?

Are you praying, listening to Him speak through His word, praising, thanking Him and confessing your sin before Him.

Are you in regular fellowship, hearing good biblical teaching and preaching, and serving each other and the community?

Do you submit to authority in your life and see spiritual authority as a blessing, protection and strength to help you, or do you resist authority and reject the authority of God’s Word?

Do you obey God's word and live holy?

We are like a “leaky cup” that will run out if we are not continually filling ourselves with these things. God expects us to daily be filled with his word, prayer and fellowship etc.

They are means of grace in our lives that flow through us and continually change and strengthen us.

Without these spiritual disciplines in our lives, we will drift away from the Lord and begin to see problems in many areas of our life, especially in relationships.

By the grace of God, we can focus on Jesus, glorify Him, find our needs and desires met by Him, and keep on going, pressing toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Phil 3:14)