What causes dissatisfaction?

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.