The Big Idea
The Big Idea
An Introduction to Be Satisfied
by Ken Baugh
How about you? Do you find yourself unsatisfied with things in your life? If so, you are in good company. Dissatisfaction is part of the human condition! That’s why God gave us the book of Ecclesiastes, to remind us that satisfaction in life is not an external issue that can be appeased by amassing more stuff, but an internal condition of the heart. I believe that true satisfaction in this life is possible but only to the extent that I have a personal relationship with the Lord. This is the Big Idea that runs throughout the book of Ecclesiastes.
So here’s the question that we need to answer: How can I learn to be satisfied with what I have? Let me give you three principles that echo in the words of King Solomon throughout the book of Ecclesiastes.
Principle 1: I will be satisfied to the extent that I see everything I have as a gift from God. Here is the truth: Everything you have—your money, talent, friendships, marriage, children, material possessions, health, home, bike, car, even the country you live in—is a gift from God that He has chosen out of His generous nature to give you. James writes, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights” (James 1:17 NIV). This is where Solomon messed up. He used the wisdom and wealth that God had given him (1 Kings 3:7–13) in a vain attempt to satisfy his soul outside of a relationship with God, but it didn’t work. He realized, “Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun” (Eccl. 2:11 NIV).
There is a hole in the human heart that only a relationship with God can fill. So don’t try to use the gifts God gives you to find satisfaction. It didn’t work for Solomon, and it won’t work for you. Instead, be satisfied with what God does give you and serve Him with a grateful heart.
Principle 2: I will be satisfied to the extent that I notice what is going on in the lives of others. This isn’t a form of comparison but of observation. For example, when I lived in Washington D.C., sometimes I drove through sections of downtown at night. I saw homeless people sleeping on park benches and bus stops, others pushing shopping carts filled with all their worldly possessions, and still others huddled over grates in the street trying to keep warm by the steam that came from the tunnels underground. Some people might look at the homeless with contempt, but I thought, Except by the grace of God, there go I. I was just a few simultaneous events away from being on the streets myself. I still am.
As I have taken the time to observe all the poverty around me, I have come to understand that I have everything I need and more. And throughout my travels around the world, this reality has been reinforced. More than 2.6 billion people live on less than $2 a day. That’s 40 percent of the world’s population. (See The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns, 2009, p. 116.)
My intent here is not to make you feel bad about the gifts that God has given you, nor that the poor cannot be satisfied even in their poverty, but I suggest that one of the ways to cultivate a satisfied heart is to share what we have with those in need. As Christians, we are to imitate our heavenly Father, and He is a generous God. John writes, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son” (John 3:16 NIV). God showed His love for us through generous giving as He sent His Son “as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10 NIV).
Therefore, the more I notice the needs of others and give of myself and my resources to help them, the more I reflect the character of God and the more I will be satisfied with what I have in life.
Principle 3: I will be satisfied to the extent that I trust God during times of distress. There is a weird correlation between anxiety and satisfaction. For example, you find a lump in your breast or your groin and you’re filled with anxiety, thinking it could be cancer. So you go to a doctor, he takes a biopsy of the lump, and then you wait for the test results. Finally, the doctor calls you and tells you that everything is okay, and you are filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude. The odd connection here is that you wouldn’t be grateful unless you had experienced the distress of the moment when you thought you might have cancer. Nothing changed in your body; the distress simply taught you that what you might have been taking for granted, your health, is in fact a gift from God. You are grateful and your heart is satisfied because there are few things more important than your health.
Often I find that my degree of satisfaction has a lot to do with my perspective. God allows times of distress to teach me to be satisfied in Him. Paul writes, “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess. 5:18 NIV). As I give thanks to the Lord no matter what is going on in my life, I am demonstrating a grateful and satisfied heart.
As you read through this commentary, look for other principles like these that Solomon says lead to satisfaction, because nothing in this world will ever satisfy your heart. True satisfaction can only be found in a relationship with the Lord. “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Eccl. 12:13 NIV). In other words, abide in the Lord, and you will Be Satisfied.
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Dr. Wiersbe’s commentaries have been a source of guidance and strength to me over the many years that I have been a pastor. His unique style is not overly academic, but theologically sound. He explains the deep truths of Scripture in a way that everyone can understand and apply. Whether you’re a Bible scholar or a brand-new believer in Christ, you will benefit, as I have, from Warren’s insights. With your Bible in one hand and Dr. Wiersbe’s commentary in the other, you will be able to accurately unpack the deep truths of God’s Word and learn how to apply them to your life.
Drink deeply, my friend, of the truths of God’s Word, for in them you will find Jesus Christ, and there is freedom, peace, assurance, and joy.
—Ken Baugh
Pastor of Coast Hills Community Church
Aliso Viejo, California