Articles
More, More, More
One will never be satisfied getting more of anything. Just like a float in a toilet tank rises with the water level to seal off incoming water and prevent overflow, our expectations and desires float up and down with our rising or falling condition in life. It has been shown repeatedly that the long-term satisfaction level of lottery winners is not significantly higher than the rest of us. There might be a short-term period of euphoria, but people naturally get used to their surroundings, no matter how opulent. Eventually, a house is just a house, a car is just a car, etc. Despite the dramatic jump in prosperity, lottery winners typically report the same level of happiness that they did before winning (“Why Winning Powerball Won’t Make You Happy,” Forbes.com, 11/28/12). The Bible teaches the same principle in Ecclesiastes 5:10, saying, “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income.” Two things that do not go together, according to this verse, are “abundance” and “satisfaction.”
“Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, nor are the eyes of men ever satisfied” (Proverbs 27:20). No matter how much we pursue a thing, satisfaction always seems to elude us. Once we grasp it, the ecstasy quickly fades and the intensity level must be ratcheted up. But then that degree of intensity also fades, because our “need” for a sin will always outpace our satisfaction with it. It should seem obvious that all sins produce the same basic restlessness – one is never satisfied with the short-term pleasure of pornography, or the feeling of calm or excitement from various kinds of drugs, or the temporary release of stress through a violent outburst. All of those things are a waste of time in the pursuit of meaningful contentment because they do not address the core issue – godliness. Illicit sexual activity will never fill our need for healthy, wholesome relationships that are defined by God (Matthew 19:1-9, Ephesians 5:22ff). Drugs cannot fix life’s underlying problems – rather, the abuse of drugs is nothing but a foolish attempt at ignoring unresolved issues. And anger does not address our need for resolution and reconciliation. Only God can guide us in those things (2 Peter 1:3, Romans 6:17ff). Only Jesus Christ can give us any real escape from restlessness (Matthew 11:28-30, John 4:13-14).
Overload
Too much of anything, no matter how benign, can become a bad thing. Just ask the writer of Proverbs, who observes, “Have you found honey? Eat only what you need, lest you have it in excess and vomit it” (Proverbs 25:16). The devil always tries to convince us that “more” is better, while God wisely advices us to use our heads and practice discretion.
