As I thought about this weeks devotion my wife supplied the word to describe my thoughts and concerns. That word is gratification or satisfaction or fulfillment and probably others you can think of. Gratification afflicts all human beings.
The dictionary describes it as an effort to please, delight, or indulge.
In the case of our world, individuals attempt to gratify their desires with money, power, popularity, drugs, alcohol, sex and numerous other ways. In most, if not all, there is little satisfaction or gratification and usually leads to efforts to increase whatever is being used to attain satisfaction or gratification. Power gained is usually followed by efforts to seek more power. Money garnered is usually followed by an effort to get more money. Other efforts follow the same path. Something gained, leads to more desired.
Some examples include athletes seeking bigger and bigger contracts and always looking to other athletes and making comparisons to themselves. A football player this week signed a contract for $250 million plus. Will that satisfy him or anyone else. Not likely. This trend with athletes has become a trend out of control. A national TV weather person is paid $700,000.00 per year to predict weather. Really!. We see a leader in the world trying to increase his power by starting a war against another country to enlarge the one he already controls. Power, wealth and influence leads to trying for more.
What does the Bible say about this effort for Gratification?
Colossians 3:1-5
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Set your affection on things above not on things on the earth.
For ye are dead, and your life is his with Christ in God.
When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in Glory.
Mortify (meaning to bring the body, the flesh, the passions into subjection by self-denial and/or discipline) therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence (sexual desire) and covetousness which is idolatry.
Here we see a clear direction through Paul’s direction from God in writing to the Colossians. It leaves no doubt where our desires should be. Overcoming the human need for satisfaction or gratification requires replacing those with something else. In this case with prayer, bible reading, and spending time with like minded people to shore up our strength against the wiles of the devil and his efforts to bring us down. Much more so as Christians; the devil wishes to undermine our thoughts and desires away from Christ and his leading in our lives, to whatever the devil can persuade us to do.
Inspiration
1 Corinthians 10:13
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
With all that said my desire is for all of us to lean on Jesus for our strength, stay away from the earthly things that can lead us into temptation and in prayer and scripture reading we can stay faithful to the one who saved us.
Speaker: Mark Andrade
Note: Remember your homework for Psalm 71. Mark left us a sheet with some questions on. Check it out.
