Self Satisfied

11/29/2018

Satisfied. What constitutes being satisfied? Can you identify satisfaction in yourself and, if you can, how many others can you put into the satisfied identity? As you might have imagined, the SIMH today is “(I Can’t Get No)Satisfaction!” —Mick Jagger/Keith Richards. The Rolling Stones were never anyone to whom I listened or with whom I identified. But, often the frequency with which I heard a song played causes it to come forth in my beady little brain, anyway.

It did make me start thinking about satisfaction, however. This is a vital question to be answered by ourselves alone. What level of satisfied would you say you are at? 50%  75%  90% 99.44% ?? Let’s see, how many factors are necessary to be included in reaching an intelligent level of being at ease?

1.) Eternal life expectancy: are you saved?

2.) This life expectancy: are you healthy and safe?

3.) Financial freedom: are you free of debt?

4.) Relationship compatibility: do you love someone who loves you?

5.) Parental responsibility: children all raised and congenial with you?

6.) CAE-Continuing Adult Education: are you as informed as you wish?

7.) Goal Fulfillment: Have you “finished your course?”

8.) Fellowman accord: Have you forgiven as you have been forgiven?

If you read that list, you might think it is too much, not enough, or strange Jerryisms. If I were just writing Jerryisms, the list would be much longer. The song compared what he thought when he rode in his car, when he watched TV and when he travelled the world. Those incidents do not scratch the surface of what life is all about. Neither do the myriad of negative things which bombard our lives represent life in total. If one replaces all the negativity with overwhelming positive thoughts, events and surroundings, the myriad of positive things will not constitute life in total.

Ah, life: I believe life begins with conception. I want to be clear about this because some things I may say may sound a little different, but I believe life begins with conception.

Children have a nature (to be blamed on Adam, the first man) of sin—the meaning of sin is “miss the mark.” So, the natural child resents being told “no” by a loving parent. The child has no concept of right and wrong until taught! The thought of how and what people relate to their children along these right/wrong lines is both staggering and sobering. But, I’ve noticed, children grow up anyway. At 17,18,19 years old, they’re pretty smart. But, “smart” isn’t about just knowledge, nor is it about simply being able to understand the way things are or the way things work. They become smart because they’ve been fed information, both good and bad. As their early 20s roll into being they become filled with understanding which generally promotes actions both good and bad. Sometime later, perhaps in one’s 30s, hopefully, wisdom shows who and what she is. Some refer to it as insight, or more appropriately, an “Aha moment!” But it’s wisdom, and wisdom in the bible is a “she.” She desires to be ever at our side (she even said she was beside the Lord “as one brought up with him.”) 

Very few children have an inkling of what might turn their knowledge collection into wisdom some day. But for most, just like growing “up” into adulthood, most become wise about some things, remain pretty foolish about others. (I promise I won’t make another list here.) What makes the knowledge turn to wisdom is more than likely going to be failure. It isn’t bad to fail, it’s bad to not try again. Jim Rohn used to say, “if you want to learn, find the guy who failed at it! He knows what not to do! Take heed to what he has to say!” That’s a really good point in this discussion.

So, here we are in adulthood. And, we have a list such as was paragraph 3 above. Your list may be in a different order, have less things, or more things. Make your own list. But, think on these things. The only one I can give you a solution to is #1—“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” Of that, I’m sure. Now, I also know because you are able to read this list, that the answer to #6 & #7 is, “NO.” You’re not finished, if that were the case, you’d be gone from here. So, look around, look deep into your own soul, the seat of your emotions and your motivation. Find out what else there is for you to do, who else you should get to know and how you might be of benefit to them.

Other than that, the 5 which remain, whether you re-word them into your life, or just answer them as they are written, you are the only one who can answer them. It is your life; the way you live, and the outcome is personally yours. “So then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God.” Rom.14:12

Thanks for reading, the Elder