We are far too easily satisfied. One of my favourite authors wrote the following:

We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

Yes, we are far, far too easily satisfied.

Recently I have been thinking about how the Gospel relates to what we take joy and pleasure in. In his epistles, Paul often breaks from the flow of his letter to praise the Lord. He cannot contain his joy in the Gospel of Christ. Every single doctrinal truth that he writes about is enough to drive him to his knees. Why should we not have the same attitude? Why is the truth that Christ came to redeem sick and ruined sinners not enough to drive us to a posture of praise? Why are we not satisfied in Christ alone and in His Gospel?

The Psalms show such an amazing contrast between the deserts of the righteous and those of the wicked. In Psalm 17, David rejoices in the satisfaction that God will give to those who trust in Him. We, like David, should look God as the source of our hope and joy.

Arise, O Lord! Confront him, subdue him! Deliver my soul from the wicked by Your sword, from men by Your hand, O Lord, from men of this world whose portion is in this life. You fill their womb with treasure; they are satisfied with children, and they leave their abundance to their infants. As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with Your likeness (Psalm 17.13-15).

In the first couple of verses of this passage, David talks about the reward that the wicked receive from God. This Psalm highlights God’s graciousness to the wicked, showing that He does allow them to accumulate wealth, children, and other earthly “treasure.” These are all very good things. I don’t think that any of us would be devastated if God allowed us to have a six-digit income, a home in the suburbs, and the perfect family. However, if we had the money of a Warren Buffett or Bill Gates but did not have Christ, we would be pitiably poor. No amount of earthly treasure can satisfy us, but God himself can. He will. Better to be materially poor and richly blessed with the inheritance of Christ than to be materially rich and eternally damned.

If God satisfies us with Himself, then why do we often not enjoy this satisfaction? We, as Lewis wrote, are far too easily pleased. We look around, chasing after every lesser satisfaction, thinking that we can be pleased with just a little more – or with some new possession or experience. The thought seldom crosses our minds that the key to satisfaction lies not in something more or new but in realizing the infinite blessing that we already have. We can only find satisfaction in the Lord when we stop kidding ourselves that we will be happy with a new car, a larger home, more understanding friends, or a better job.

Let us seek satisfaction in Christ.