Seeking Satisfaction in the Right Place

You are asking a very important question–a question that shouldn’t be answered with trite responses and unhelpful platitudes. Let me offer some thoughts.

There are likely no quick fixes–no mechanistic “steps”–to the problem of finding that Jesus is not satisfying my heart hunger. The remedy may not be simple. Nevertheless, there is great value in identifying this lack of satisfaction in him as a significant root problem in my life. This identification keeps me pointed in a strategic and helpful overall direction as I seek to address issues of purity.

One foundational principle that I place a lot of weight on is that, like everything else in the Christian life, developing a greater satisfaction in Jesus comes about through faith. Sanctification, like justification, is by grace through faith. It’s faith in Jesus’ word.

In using Bible reading and meditation as a means of drawing closer to Jesus, I have found it very helpful to remember that the ultimate aim of the Bible in all its parts is to show us the greatness of Jesus Christ and invite us to believe him. So I read the Bible and think on it (note the importance of both these things) not primarily to access ideas or tips for life and ministry, but with the aim of seeing who Jesus is, what he is like, and what he has done. I aim simply to gaze at him. Perhaps this is most readily done in the gospels, but we should also look for Jesus in all the Bible (Luke 24:27; Acts 8:35).

Closely related to this, I have found it helpful–though I have a long way to go in learning this–to take what I learn from gazing on Jesus in the Scriptures and putting it to proof (so to speak) or action in specific circumstances of my life. Do I see his greatness? I try to praise him. Do I see his sufficiency? I try to experience it in trials. Do I see his wisdom? I try to prove it by obeying what he teaches. In this way I try to make a relational connection between Jesus and me by mixing his glory with my daily life.

Prayer, of course, must be part of the mix in addressing your question: abiding cries to God of confession (admitting our lack of satisfaction) and appeal (continual asking for more satisfaction).

Then, too, there is the vital component of connecting our lives with other Christians. We must share in common with each other the satisfying dynamic of Jesus. This is fellowship. It is nurtured in large part by unhurried and deliberate talking and listening to other believers with whom we are close. We should look for the glory of Christ in their lives and learn from them how to see it and how to live by it.

As we consider these aspects of a strategy or approach to experiencing more heart satisfaction in Jesus (and I’m not implying that these are the only factors or considerations), it may be that we need to eliminate things in our lives that are distracting us or running interference with drawing closer to Jesus. Maybe it’s busyness, a hurried or noisy mind, counterproductive entertainment, sensory overload, preoccupation with trivial pursuits, or something else. As others have pointed out, it’s difficult to be satisfied with good nutrition if we are constantly bombarding our palate with sugar and caffeine.

One further idea. I am aware of a book by John Piper called “When I Don’t Desire God: How to Fight for Joy.” I have not read it, but it may address some of the issues behind your question.

Brother or sister, I have prayed for you as I have given thought to offering an answer to your question. May you (and all of us) increasingly experience a deeper sense of heart satisfaction in Jesus.

David Linde