Contentment in the Chaos - Finding Satisfaction

Webster’s Dictionary defines satisfaction as; fulfilment of a need or want: the quality or state of being satisfied: contentment. How would you define satisfaction or what would it look like for you? Here’s a perhaps even more important question -- How many times in your life have you experienced real satisfaction? Can you count the number on one hand? Or perhaps even never?

When you look at satisfaction in the scripture, there is a sense of settled-ness, or assurance, or rest that accompanies satisfaction. Does that look like the place where you live? If not, then we have likely joined our value system to the culture around us that wants to connect satisfaction to measurable things like money, or the size of a house, or the prestige of a job, or the price of a car. But those aren’t the arenas that God operates in when it comes to satisfaction. Why? Because those things can change or be gone in an instant and we are left in despair. So how do we experience real, lasting satisfaction? We tie it to something impossible to measure, something or someone that can’t be taken away.

Also, we need to be sure to not substitute pleasure for satisfaction. You see pleasure can be found in a lot of things; a Tennessee victory on Saturdays, a good cup of joe, a bowl of ice cream, the warm embrace of a loved one. But pleasure is a temporary state, a place you visit, but usually not where we do life every day.

So what’s the key to finding real satisfaction and is it possible to live there instead of having the occasional visit?

Contentment in the Chaos - More or Less

When it comes to making life work, some people do more, some people do less, some do more or less the same thing over and over and then there are some who do more with less. I always went to my dad for financial advice as an adult and here’s why. I discovered, during a conversation with him in my early twenties, that the most money he ever made in a year’s time was $10,500, to which I responded, “Dad, that’s impossible!” I told him that it was impossible to raise, feed, clothe and shelter 5 kids on that kind of income, especially with a vacation thrown into the mix here and there. His response was something to the effect of, “Son...,” you see, anytime he had something significant to say, it would always start with, “Son.” Anyway, he said, “Son, when you are faithful to God with a tenth of what you make, and if you are smart with the rest of the 90%, He will bless what you are able to do with it.” He also told me generally that if you spent less than you earned and if you didn’t spend more than 25% of your income on housing, you would likely have enough to go around and do what you needed to do. That was his way of saying in essence, when it comes to finances, patience trumps passion, or put another way, importance should always supersede impulse. After that conversation, I never made a significant purchase without his advice and he never steered me wrong... ever. If there was ever anybody that did more with less, I would like to meet them.

Some folks live their entire lives with the wrong way of measuring things. Whether they are measuring failure or success, what’s important from what isn’t, or what we should pursue and what we should let go on by. As a result, some of the chaos we live with is self-induced. Making good decisions often boils down to having good information and the information God gives us in His Word is matchless.

Contentment in the Chaos - The Fear Factor

As an eight or nine year old boy, a girl that lived behind us and I would head out on summer nights with flashlights in hand to go cat hunting. It’s a lot more tame than that sounds. There were no weapons, we would simply head up and down the alley behind our houses looking for cats. You see, cats eyes reflect the light and when you shine it on them, they quickly scram. Well one particular night we decided to check out the garage/barn of her next door neighbor for cats and quickly found a couple that scurried away pretty quick. Then, as we walked a little deeper into the barn we shined our light into the corner next to a bag of fertilizer and two red eyes were looking back at us and were not moving. Well my friend, who I thought was pretty brave, especially for a girl (and yes, I know girls can be brave, too) let out a scream and ran for her house. I called for her and got her to stop and go back in with me and check this thing out. And what she thought was a red-eyed evil spirit and I thought was a rat, turned out to be a big ‘ol possum that, when she saw his body, screamed again and ran home and back into her house. That kind of brought an end to the cat hunting excursions.

She was afraid of possums, or at least she was that night. I wonder what you’re afraid of. According to Pew Research, still folks number one fear is speaking in public. Number two was snakes and number three was being kidnapped or abducted. We are living in times where many are living in fear. Fear of what’s around the corner or of what the future holds, fear of the unknown. Fear that the world the generations behind us are growing up in will look drastically different than the one that eight or nine year old boy was walking the alley ways into. We feel that way because we are in chaotic times that we think are unique to us. But if you examine the scriptures, you’ll see that this isn’t the first time chaos has raised its head and if we are going to navigate the chaos, we are first going to have to have a remedy for the fear that we are choosing to let have control.

Contentment in the Chaos - Envy is a Liar

For a guy in high school in the seventies, it was all about the car. A not so cool car got you from point A to point B, but a cool car got you there with a lot more style and probably with a girl in the seat beside you. Most of my friends were like me and drove a car that was at least 10 years old. My senior year, I drove a 1967 4 door Chevy Caprice, a gas guzzler no matter how slow you drove it, and I don’t remember ever having enough money to fill it up when I pulled into the gas station. No matter who you are or where you went to school there was always “that guy.” You know, the guy who drove the cool car, the guys whose parents had the means to furnish him a car that made him the envy of his friends. There was a guy I played ball with that fit that description. In fact his dad owned a Volkswagen and Porsche dealership and guess which one of those he drove to school? Needless to say, he was indeed the envy of his friends. Here’s something that I learned about envy back then though - My envy never brought the other person down a notch, nor did it elevate me up a notch.

You see, unless our envy is centered around drawing ourselves closer to Christ, and it seldom is, it never brings about anything productive. Why? Because Envy is a Liar. The enemy uses it to remind us of what or whom we are not and wants us to try and blame God for us driving a 10 year old Chevy Caprice while our friend is out there tooling around in a Porsche. He wants us to give value to the wrong things, the temporary things, instead of the eternal things. It’s important to understand that God is more concerned with transportation rather than the car, with shelter rather than the house, and with what your life is producing rather than how it’s packaged. Last week we learned that worry is a contentment killer and not too far on worry’s heels is envy. Because let’s face it, regardless of what you’re driving, cool can only carry you so far, and it’s usually not on the road to Christ-likeness.

Contentment in the Chaos - Worry’s Got to Go

I’m not old enough to remember World War 2 but I do remember the war in Vietnam and the social unrest and protests that we so prevalent during that time. Then there was the runaway inflation of the late seventies with lines at the gas stations due to the global manipulation of crude oil prices. Then comes Desert Storm with many Americans in the lurch wondering what the fallout would be and if their sons and daughters in the military would be coming home safe. Then 9/11 occurs and everything comes to a screeching halt, both here and around the world, as we deploy troops on a search and destroy mission to find Osama Bin Laden and come to a realization that what we have always thought of as war suddenly looks much different going forward. Enter 2020 and the world comes to a screeching halt once again over the Corona virus originating in a lab in China.

The point is this, we are living in a world and in an age where chaos has become the order of the day and it doesn’t seem to be letting up. In fact, it seems to be ramping up. So, are all these things occurring out of happenstance, or are they being orchestrated by someone or something? Are there political and social pressures hyping things into a frenzy or could there be demonic influence to any of this? Interesting questions but the even more interesting question for the Christ follower is can I find Contentment in the Chaos? Is there a way to navigate culture and make sense of the chaos while finding a place of understanding, peace and contentment? Here is what I know to be true.... God does not want the believer to live and walk in defeat, in fear, or even in worry. In fact, it’s His design that our influence increase not decrease in troubled times. That all sound good doesn’t it? But it’s only possible when we refuse to let the circumstances define us, and for that to happen consistently, Worry’s Got to Go.

Antidote for a Sick Nation - The Cure

Unless all the news you watch or hear is from the main stream media outlets, you have probably heard of the three therapeutic treatment options that have had great success when it comes to treatment of the Coronavirus. They are of course Hydroxychloroquine (which I took before my first trip to Nicaragua and which is totally safe) combined with zinc; Budesonide, an inhaled corticosteroid treatment typically used for asthma or respiratory infections being promoted by Texas Dr. Richard Bartlett; and the most recent one is an Oleandrin extract from the Oleander plant, clinically tested at the University of Texas at Austin and which has been touted by Dr. Ben Carson. And, beyond their being referred to as treatments or therapeutics for Covid 19, some have been so bold as to call their use a cure for the virus. Now I’m not a scientist or a doctor but there are both scientists and doctors promoting the use of these drugs with some of the doctors touting a 100% recovery rate in the patients that have treated. If that’s true, wouldn’t you want anyone and everyone with the virus to know about these treatment options and how effective they have been, at least to this point? So if your reading about them here is the first time you have heard about one or more of these, wouldn’t you want to know why? Sure the term “cure” is strong language to use when referring to something being the absolute solution every time it’s used but if something really is able to cure an illness, it needs to be made known, right?

What about when the sickness or illness is more spiritual than physical or emotional? Well, as we have examined together the last few weeks, America’s sickness isn’t viral, racial, political, or even moral. It’s spiritual, and if that’s the case, I’d want to know if there is a cure for that condition too, wouldn’t you? Well there is indeed a cure and, while not easy, couldn’t be simpler to know, understand and put into practice. Join us this Sunday as we put a bow on Antidote for a Sick Nation by uncovering The Cure.

Antidote for a Sick Nation - The Prescription

Do you remember the first time you actually felt like an adult? Mine was when I signed the mortgage papers on our first house, hoping I could make the $250 monthly house payment. What about the first time you ever felt “old?” I was in my mid-thirties (certainly not old in my book) when I began having some occasional chest pain that, after several heart tests, eventually turned out to be acid reflux. When the doctor handed me that prescription for my reflux I suddenly felt myself instantly age several years. You see, that was the very first prescription I had ever been written and, in my mind, prescriptions were for “old” people. I shouldn’t actually be needing to take prescribed medicine until I was well into my late sixties and even then not for too much acid in my system, right? I hoped it would be temporary but instead of gradually coming off of it, I actually ended up having to double the dose after a couple of months of it not working. That was not my idea of what a guy my age should be having to do. What about you? Have any prescriptions you’ve been written caused you to stop and give thought to your health, your plans, your future? Prescriptions aren’t really bad things in and of themselves. In fact, they can be very good things... assuming they work of course.

Over the last three weeks of teaching, we have come to recognize that we are indeed a sick nation and our sickness isn’t actually viral, it isn’t political, it isn’t racial, or even moral. Those can certainly be symptoms of the problem. But at its core, our cultural sickness is spiritual and spiritual sickness requires a spiritual solution, a spiritual prescription, and this is no time for a half dose of whatever the Great Physician says we need. We need the full dose of the highest potency available and, over the next 2 Sundays, we’ll see The Prescription and The Cure come into much clearer focus. This is no placebo nor generic equivalent. This is the real stuff.

Antidote for a Sick Nation - The Diagnosis

In the three years leading up to 2018, my PSA numbers were climbing at a low but steady rate. Then, at my annual check-up in 2018, the numbers jumped significantly and my primary care doctor thought it was time that I saw a urologist. At the initial visit with the urologist about a month later, he did another PSA check and it had increased even more so he wanted to biopsy my prostate to check for cancer. About a week later I go back to his office for a consult and he walks in, sits down and says, “Well Tim, I’m afraid I have some bad news. 7 out of the 12 biopsy samples tested positive for cancer so you’re going to need to decide how you want to proceed with one of 4 treatment options going forward.” He gave me more information on the 4 options and the pros and cons for each one and wanted to get back together in a week or so to make a decision. I asked the Lord for His wisdom and His help, did a significant amount of research in trying to decide which treatment option was right for me and, in the end, opted for a robotic prostatectomy. (Arthroscopic removal of the prostate) Since the surgery, my PSA number has been below zero at every check so God is good.

I thought about that episode in my life again this week as I imagined being called into the office of the Great Physician and imagined hearing His diagnosis go something like, “Well Tim, I’m afraid I have some bad news for you. You are living in sin-sick surroundings and I’m afraid it’s affecting you too, whether you realize it or not.” Then as I ask, “What should I do?” I hear him say, “First make sure you are spiritually well-nourished and then get the word out. Tell everybody you know that there’s a remedy for this sickness, but it’s not an easy fix. In fact, it’s a hard pill to swallow but it will work every time to bring understanding, healing, and restoration.” Friend, every effective solution to about any problem in life begins with the proper diagnosis.

Antidote for a Sick Nation - Admitting Denial

I picked up the hit and run signal from the third base coach, took my lead off of first base and as soon as the pitcher started his motion toward home plate I turned and broke for second base. When I saw the ball come off the bat and fly over my head I could tell it was going to be in the gap between center and right field so I kept going full speed around second and headed for third. I could see the third baseman setting up on the inside of the bag to receive the throw from the outfield and I decided to make a hook slide to the outside of the bag. I knew it was going to be a close play and was running as fast as I could. I made the slide, my left foot against the bag, and had stopped my momentum when the third baseman tagged me on the left hip. I had beaten the tag and was safe, or at least that’s what me, our third base coach and our entire dugout thought. In fact, I never heard the umpire’s call one way of the other so I get up and stand on the bag and begin dusting myself off when he jogs over from behind the pitcher’s mound to tell me I am out. I look at him and ask, “Are you serious?” to which he responds, “Yes, you are out.” I look at the other team’s third baseman who just smiles and turns toward the outfield. After the game I run into the third baseman at the concessions stand and ask him about the sales job he did on the late tag and he says, “Hey it worked.”

Living in denial when it comes to something that isn’t going so well for us is never a good idea. If it’s anything of significance, it’s not going to go away until it’s dealt with. The same is true for our culture, both locally and nationally. Many are in denial that we are spiritually, morally, and culturally sick but that doesn’t change the facts that we are spiraling toward the edge. So, how do we get beyond the sickness and experience healing and restoration? Or is that even possible? We have to first deal with the denial and face the truth and, as always, the scripture has a plan for that.

Antidote for a Sick Nation - Recognition

A couple of years ago I was standing in the checkout line at Sam’s and a lady comes up beside me and stands there. I was facing forward and noticed her inching closer and closer. Finally I turned her way to give her the, “lady can I help you?” look and she just stood there smiling at me. After an awkward few seconds she said, “You don’t recognize me do you?” “No, ma’am I’m sorry but I don’t,” I replied. She said, “I’m Cindy, we were in Miss Conrad’s class together at Oakwood Elementary.” I don’t tell her this but that was 50 years ago and that still doesn’t help me a bit. “We sat across the row from each other until she moved me for talking so much,” she continues. I was beginning to see why but still... nothing. Finally, seeing this one-sided conversation was going to continue into the parking lot unless I acknowledge who she is, I said something to the effect of, “Oh yeah, well it’s certainly good to see you again. Those were the good old days and thanks for saying hello.” In my defense, I get home and discover in a few pictures that the girl that was a little on the chubby side and had brown hair back then looked nothing like the skinny blonde that came up to me at Sam’s. Not even a vague resemblance.

Sitting where we are as a nation here in 2020, we don’t in any way resemble the same place I knew back then as that third grader, not even close. In fact, we are nothing like the nation we were just 19 short years ago when we were attacked on 9/11 and responded with more unity than I had ever witnessed in my lifetime. Well, we are under attack again. Only this time it’s from within, and we aren’t responding very well. In fact our response, or the lack of it, is revealing our sickness, our paralysis, our weakness as a nation and certainly as Christ-followers. So, is there a decision, an event, or an antidote for the condition we’ve allowed ourselves to fall into. Yes there is, and the first step is Recognition.