Question 1

What causes dissatisfaction?

Accepted Answer

Ecclesiastes 2:11, 20As I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere. . . . So I gave up in despair, questioning the value of all my hard work in this world.Isaiah 55:1-2“Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink—even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk—it’s all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food.”Ezekiel 7:19“They will throw their money in the streets, tossing it out like worthless trash. Their silver and gold won’t save them on that day of the Lord’s anger. It will neither satisfy nor feed them, for their greed can only trip them up.”Dissatisfaction is a soul issue, a hunger for something that we don’t have. Anytime we are seeking true satisfaction from any source other than God, we will be dissatisfied. A hunger for God cannot be satisfied with accomplishments, hard work, wealth, fame, or other worldly honors. These may bring temporary satisfaction, but they are not lasting sources of soul satisfaction. We can’t feed our souls with worldly food. Our soul hunger is satisfied only with spiritual food from God.Exodus 20:17“You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”Proverbs 27:20Just as Death and Destruction are never satisfied, so human desire is never satisfied.Isaiah 56:11Like greedy dogs, they are never satisfied. They are ignorant shepherds, all following their own path and intent on personal gain.Habakkuk 2:5“Wealth is treacherous, and the arrogant are never at rest. They open their mouths as wide as the grave, and like death, they are never satisfied. In their greed they have gathered up many nations and swallowed many peoples.”Human desire, covetousness, and greed feed dissatisfaction. Greed and covetousness are hungers that can never be fully satisfied. The more we get, the more we want. Then we want more and more and more. More is never enough when we are seeking things that can never truly satisfy.Numbers 11:4-6Then the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt. And the people of Israel also began to complain. “Oh, for some meat!” they exclaimed. “We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted. But now our appetites are gone. All we ever see is this manna!”Our perspective can deeply impact our satisfaction level. We tend to be dissatisfied when we focus mainly on the present without regard for the greater priorities that will impact our future.

Question 2

What are the dangers of dissatisfaction?

Accepted Answer

Ezekiel 16:28-29“You have prostituted yourself with the Assyrians, too. It seems you can never find enough new lovers! And after your prostitution there, you still were not satisfied. You added to your lovers by embracing Babylonia, the land of merchants, but you still weren’t satisfied.”Dissatisfaction usually breeds even greater dissatisfaction. The solution to dissatisfaction is to practice faithfulness to God, to our mate, and to the commitments we have made.Proverbs 14:30A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones.Dissatisfaction can lead to jealousy, bitterness, and a shorter life. Being satisfied with what we have helps us relax and enjoy the life God has given us.Psalm 106:25Instead, they grumbled in their tents and refused to obey the Lord.Dissatisfaction with what we have often leads to disobedience. Instead of accepting the part we have been given to play, we blame God or others for what we have and don’t have.1 Corinthians 10:10Don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death.James 5:9Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door!Dissatisfaction with what we have leads to grumbling, nagging, and complaining.

Question 3

How should we respond to dissatisfaction? How can we be satisfied?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 17:15Because I am righteous, I will see you. When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied.Psalm 37:4Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.Psalm 63:1-5O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy.Psalm 84:10-12A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked. For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, what joy for those who trust in you.Psalm 90:14Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives.Acts 17:24-25“He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need.”The Lord God is the only true source of satisfaction. Only he can satisfy our hungry souls.Psalm 103:5He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!Psalm 107:8-9Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.Psalm 118:24This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.A thankful heart feeds a hungry soul, bringing spiritual satisfaction. We must develop an attitude of being grateful to God for what we have, not fixating on what we don’t have. Someone always has more and someone always has less.Philippians 4:11-13Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.We find satisfaction in every situation as we draw on Christ’s strength.Psalm 112:1Praise the Lord! How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands.We find satisfaction in obedience to God. We find no greater satisfaction than in pleasing those we love—and that includes our Creator.Proverbs 3:15-17Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. She offers you long life in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left. She will guide you down delightful paths; all her ways are satisfying.Feeding on God’s Word and his wisdom satisfies our spiritual hunger.Ecclesiastes 5:18-20Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God. God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past.Galatians 6:4-5Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.When God has given us work to do, we find spiritual satisfaction in doing it. We can do this by seeing the bigger picture of modeling our faith for others and doing our work to glorify God.Psalm 37:16-17It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and rich. For the strength of the wicked will be shattered, but the Lord takes care of the godly.Proverbs 11:25The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.1 Timothy 6:6-11, 18Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. . . . Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.Hebrews 13:5Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”We are to be satisfied and generous with whatever material possessions God has granted us.Proverbs 23:17Don’t envy sinners, but always continue to fear the Lord.Proverbs 24:19-20Don’t fret because of evildoers; don’t envy the wicked. For evil people have no future; the light of the wicked will be snuffed out.We are not to be envious of those who do evil, because envy leads to dissatisfaction.

Question 4

How do we respond to dissatisfaction in our marriages?

Accepted Answer

Malachi 2:14-16You cry out, “Why doesn’t the Lord accept my worship?” I’ll tell you why! Because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows. Didn’t the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth. “For I hate divorce!” says the Lord, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.”Loyalty in fulfilling vows to our spouse brings a satisfying marriage, not merely physically satisfying, but spiritually satisfying. Loyalty brings the satisfaction that comes with being obedient to God and building trust in our relationships. Trust and unconditional love are the keys to lasting satisfaction.Proverbs 5:15-23Drink water from your own well—share your love only with your wife. Why spill the water of your springs in the streets, having sex with just anyone? You should reserve it for yourselves. Never share it with strangers. Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. She is a loving deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts satisfy you always. May you always be captivated by her love.God planned for your mate to be a fountain of blessing. If we drink from other wells, how then can God satisfy us with the fountain he gave us? Stay true—dissatisfaction will wither, and satisfaction will well up.1 Corinthians 13:7Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.Commitment is the glue that binds a marriage together into satisfying wholeness. Love persists through all circumstances, and that is truly satisfying to both mates.

Question 5

With what is God dissatisfied?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 5:4O God, you take no pleasure in wickedness; you cannot tolerate the sins of the wicked.Each sin brings dissatisfaction to God.Ezekiel 33:11“As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?”Hebrews 10:38“My righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”Although God hates sin, he loves the individual so much that he is dissatisfied when any sinner lives and dies without knowing him.2 Timothy 2:4Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them.We bring dissatisfaction to God when we put our earthly priorities ahead of our heavenly priorities.