Satisfaction in a Dissatisfying World Part 11 Corinthians 4:6-7
When I wrote my first book, I slipped back into this feeling of “being the man”. I felt I had arrived and couldn’t wait to see my book in print. I felt that when my book was printed I’d be more satisfied, or more fulfilled than I was before. There was this deep longing in me to get this book printed as fast as possible so I could feel this sense of satisfaction. Many people spoke into the book challenging it to make it better. Which if I were to take the time required, it would slow the printing time of the book. All I heard when advisors spoke into the book was criticism and in my mind I called it jealousy. I didn’t want to listen to their “advise” I desired that it get printed as quickly as possible, so I neglected to heed their advice. The book was printed and it didn’t fulfill the longing I expected it to. I was dissatisfied and if I’m honest with you, I fell into a stage of depression for a time because I put so many eggs in the basket of getting satisfaction out of my book in print. This stage was so bad, that I stopped writing for a time. I looked to the wrong thing to fulfill me and I think we all tend to do this. We seek satisfaction out of people, places or things that can never fully satisfy.
Much of the world lives this way. We see it in marketing where things are supposed to bring the satisfaction we’ve been waiting for…until the next model comes out that is. We strive and toil to earn our way to satisfaction, but in the end we’re left empty. In the passage this week and in next week’s passage, we see Paul discussing this issue and answering the question: How can we live satisfied in a dissatisfying world?
Paul in this passage reminds the Corinthians of what he previously said (briefly discuss Joe’s sermon from last week) and states that he and Apollos have applied the realities of servant hood, stewardship, standards and success to their own lives in order that the Corinthian church may follow their example. Neither is above the other in this, but they have equality in their relationship to Christ. Paul then moves into a realm that seems unrelated, but yet is not. He moves into a discussion about satisfaction. Being satisfied is something the Corinthian church was striving for, but they were seeking their satisfaction in wrong and even sinful ways, for this world simply can’t satisfy, nor does living as the world lives. Paul then made a bold claim and that is:
- Satisfaction is Viewing All as a Gift (vs. 7)
Paul began this portion by asking the Corinthians some questions. The form of these inquiries is similar to that of the diatribe, a philosophical form of reasoning that uses imaginative irony in a dialog to undermine the position that is being criticized.[1] The people in this church were seeking to be satisfied in their position and or in their stuff. They seemed to have a sense that they had earned their position, their status and the things they owned. This then (or so they thought) gave them the ability to boast about what leader they followed or about the amount of stuff they owned. Yet they missed one key ingredient: God’s grace. The Corinthian’s were not saved by anything they had or because of anything they did. The Corinthian’s were saved by God’s grace and everything in their life was a gift. It was not earned or deserved. This then is one huge key to satisfaction: viewing all as a gift rather than something owed us.
The world around us desires to speak into our lives the fact that we are owed certain things or we deserve certain things due to how hard we work or don’t work. So we toil under this belief and we get beaten down with disappointment or puffed up with pride because this system can never satisfy. There is always a sense of something more to strive for, a reaching out to get the next step in ta certain phase. Yet if we were to step back from the realities of being owed anything and feeling as if we deserve something and see all as a gift from our Father, our perspective changes. When all we have is a gift, God’s grace becomes more tangible. Many times when good things happen, we still have a sense of God giving us what we deserve and so we miss His grace entirely. We then also take this idea to our pain and declare: “I never deserved this! I’ve always been good!” In this, we are showing our inability to be satisfied. We declare our inability to see His grace. In the good or the bad, we never receive the gift.
Imagine if someone in your family buys you a brand new car. They show up unexpectedly and you see this incredibly generous gift. You are mind blown by their generosity, thoughtfulness and love to get you this gift. There is no occasion for them to do this, no reason except their love that this is given. You can receive it as a gift because you know you did nothing for them to buy this car. This gift satisfies you more than you though. Let’s flip the script then. Imagine if the same thing happens, but you felt this family member owed you something. How does that change how you receive the gift? It no longer becomes a gift, but a payment. It’s transactionary rather than an offering. There is no gratitude and no satisfaction in it. You may even display contempt for the type of car they chose to give you.
Seeing things as a gift changes our perspective. Paul was trying to get the Corinthians and us to see all of life as a gift. Our job, our classes, our family, our church, our car, our house, Time, our future (or present) spouse…all of it as a gift. You will find deep satisfaction in those things when we see them in this light. The importance of the Giver of these gifts can’t be ignored either. He gives not because we’ve earned it, but simply because He loves us. This may very well be one of the hardest lessons to learn in discipleship. It brings a tough balance to faith and works. The more we get to know the Giver, the more we begin to see things as a gift. His heart begins to be exposed in all we have. When we pursue Him for who He is and not what He gives, we will be blown away by how much truly is gifted to us. It is one of those mystical paradoxes of God.
I’ve seen this truth in my writing. My first book that I thought would satisfy everything became a disappointment as I previously stated. I was in a depression until I realized God had given me the ability to write and the desire to write. God had gifted me with people who desired to speak into my writing, not to bring me down, but to make me better. My satisfaction is not in whether I write a book that is widely read, my satisfaction is in living in my gifts and being with the Gift Giver. The fact that I have anything at all is remarkable.
Satisfaction does not come from people, places, things or status but it comes from seeing the Gifts the Giver has given us. Paul also described the reality of boasting in this passage. He asks the question: “…why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” The problem Paul is pointing to is that many of us may feel satisfied despite the Giver and the seeing of all as gifts. We may not seem to be dissatisfied, yet Paul recognized this powerful truth:
- Boasting Points to Our Insecurity (7b)
When people boast, there is this desire to be seen for what we a.) perceive ourselves to be or b.) what we want others to perceive us as. Boasting puts forth an image, many times a false one. We desire to put forth this image because we feel in our inner being unsatisfied with who we are. We are insecure about ourselves, so we portray an image of confidence. Many times, we believe our own lies we put forth and believe the mask we wear. Yet the very fact that we are boasting points out our insecurity and our dissatisfaction with life as it is. We boast because if we can get others to think we are the greatest, maybe we will feel that way about ourselves and if we do that we can feel satisfied. This then leads to the belief that man’s high opinion of us beings satisfaction, but as we said two weeks ago, men are fickle. When we boast in ourselves or the things we have or do, we are declaring ourselves independent of the Lord and declaring in many ways he had nothing to do with it. Yet, we see that all is a gift from Him. That is why earlier in this book Paul stated: “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord!” For it is God who deserves the glory, not ourselves. When He gets the Glory we can remain satisfied with life because it’s not on us, it’s on Him and He never fails.
Let me challenge us to begin to see all that we have as a gift from God and no longer view them as earned by ourselves. This will be a difficult shift in perspective, but a necessary one for our lives. If we are honest with ourselves we will see many areas where we are not satisfied because this world really is dissatisfying. May we be people who boast in the Lord and not in ourselves and finally may we be a people who seek to be satisfied in Him and nothing else.
[1] Soards, M. L. (2011). 1 Corinthians (p. 92). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
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