I was never a big fan of the Rolling Stones. By the time they came around I was no longer a teenage rock and roll fan. I was into gospel music and instrumentals by Mantovani, Percy Faith and the Tijuana Brass instead. However, you would have had to be living in a monastery not to have heard Mick Jagger belt out, “Can’t get no satisfaction”. I believe he must have been looking for it in all of the wrong places.
Real satisfaction doesn’t come from possessions. I mentioned in a recent blog that if we aren’t satisfied with what we have, why would we think more would do the trick for us? It doesn’t even come from our environment or situation. I’ve often quoted the Apostle Paul’s description of how he could be satisfied in any situation, (Philippians 4:11-12) No, satisfaction is not found externally, it is something created internally by our own attitude.
As Christians, we have God’s help to find satisfaction within us. Satisfaction is not listed as one of the seven fruit produced by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22), but I have found that it is a direct result of those fruit produced in me that I share with others. Let’s compare the Rolling Stone song Satisfaction with the Christian song Satisfied. “Satisfied! Satisfied! No trouble can ever get me down. When my eyes are closed in death and my feet shall be at rest, then you’ll know I’m satisfied. I’ve got that old time religion; got that old time religion. That is why, I’m satisfied.”
I ran across a prayer recently that leads us to an attitude of satisfaction. “Oh Lord, when I grow weary please help me remember each and every day: to count my blessings and not my crosses; to count my gains and not my losses; to count my laughs and not my tears; to count my joys and not my fears; to count my health and not my wealth; and most of all; to count on You and not myself.”