I Want More: Escaping the trap of dissatisfaction
We are constantly bombarded with images of perfect people, in amazing places, doing extraordinary, fun, and exciting things. And because of smartphones and social media, these images are instantly available to us anytime, day or night. And many times, we see these images whether we want to or not, on TV commercials, internet ads, and even freeway billboards.
We are force-fed an ideal of more. More money, more food, more alcohol, more adventure, more home décor, more shoes, more indulgence, more whatever your favorite thing is, you need more. And the lie starts to creep in that we can’t be satisfied until we have more.
But the problem with more is, you never reach it. We will never have enough because we can always get more. Satisfaction toward our current lives goes down as we fix our eyes on whatever the world (or our flesh) tells us we need more of.
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I Want More
But friends, we were made for more. More than the world’s idea of satisfaction. More than what the trap of consumption can offer us. Through Jesus, we can live free from this trap of dissatisfaction.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
God wants more for us. Jesus Christ paid the price to save our souls, and it wasn’t so we could idolize and covet things here on this earth. It wasn’t so we could dismiss the blessings that are right in front of us because someone else has something else that we want too.
When we accept Christ as our savior, we become new people – people who were bought at a price and who now belong to God. Once we recognize this fact and accept it deep in our souls, we cannot help but start to change our values and our worldview.
The things that used to offer us comfort start to slip away and lose their efficacy. The cookies I once ate to console myself on bad days don’t quite hit the spot in the same way.
My soul recognizes what I truly need, and that is Jesus, and I need to honor him through my thoughts and actions.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
So then, how can we escape this spinning wheel of coveting more?
Focus on what we have – not what we lack
Genesis 3:2-5
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
God provided a good and perfect environment for Adam and Eve to live and thrive. He provided them with everything they needed, and they were allowed to eat from any tree except one. And rather than being satisfied with what they could have, Eve fixed her eyes on the one thing they couldn’t. And that’s where her heart went. Away from God and onto the flesh.
In our own lives, we need to recognize what we do have and find contentment in that space. If we fix our eyes on what we lack (or what we think that we need), then dissatisfaction sets in and our minds start to dwell there. Stay away from this place friends! Focus on God and gratitude, and you’ll find contentment without feeling the need for more things to satisfy you.
Focus on God’s grace
2 Corinthians 12:9
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
God knows our weaknesses, and in His abounding grace, He provides us a way out of dangerous thought patterns. He knows that in our own strength, we cannot be successful. The only way that we can escape the trap of wanting more is by focusing on God’s grace and letting the power of Christ take over. In our own strength we are weak, but in God’s strength we have the power to overcome!
Love God more than the world
1 John 2:15-16
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world – the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life – is not from the Father but is from the world.
The world can never fill us – it’s not meant to. We have a God-shaped hole in our souls, and the only thing that can ever truly fill our needs and desires is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Love God more than the things of this world. The things of the world will die and turn to dust, but our lives in Christ will live forever.
Dear God, please help me to remember that I am no longer my own.
Help me remember that I was bought with a price, that I belong to you, and that the things of this earth will soon turn to dust and don’t offer any lasting satisfaction for me. You alone matter; you are eternal and the provider for my soul. I pray that I honor you with my mind, body, and spirit. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Our flesh tells us that we don’t have enough – that we’ll be happier if we have more of whatever it is that we want at the moment. But don’t buy into the lie friends. You were made for more than that. You were bought with a price, and only Jesus can provide true and lasting satisfaction in our lives. I pray that you believe it and live it.
Blessings Friend.
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