But I Really Want It

Being discontented means to be not pleased or satisfied, and although "but I really want it" won't be found in Wikipedia or a medical journal, it might be described as a real disease. The symptoms are the restless desire for something more, something better, something satisfying. No one is immune to But I Really Want It disease, and we humans struggle with it from the day we're born. Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed that darned snake, and my grandkids blame their cousins. Imagine how much we liked our roller-skates, until we saw the next door neighbor scooting around on those shinny new rollerblades. Everything changed in 30 seconds and suddenly our roller-skates were old and embarrassing. There it was, But I Really Want It disease swept over us and that craving for something more or something better struck us like a ton of bricks.

 

In Ecclesiastes, the book that might be subtitled "Solomon's Search for Satisfaction", Solomon contracted a serious case of But I Really Want It disease. Although what he had was a lot, what he had wasn't enough. One more wife turned out to be a hundred wives, more horses, more gold, and more slaves. The list of what he wanted went on and on until finally he concluded that "All mans efforts are for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied" (Ecclesiastes 6:7). It's important to recognize that, like Solomon, no matter how much we have, buy, build, eat, or accumulate, it won't be enough. Millions of people around the world, and especially in America, are drowning in debt because they haven't found satisfaction. Unable to curb their desire for whatever is newest or coolest, they're constantly spending, wanting just one more thing, and ending up full of worry, plagued by unpaid bills, and hounded by overdraft fees and interest.

 

As we think about our New Years resolutions, we should remember Saint Paul who discovered the secret to satisfaction, which is why even from prison he could write, "I have learned to be content in whatever circumstance I find myself" (Philippians 4:11). He was imprisoned, yet he was free from the need for something more or something better, because that need was already being met by the Lord. Our constant desire for more and better is our humanness trying to satisfy what only God can satisfy. Consider that the next time you find yourself really wanting something. Instead of running to the store, focus on the things you already have in your life, and run to the Lord to fulfill that longing. When you stay connected to God, you'll find you don't need anything more than what you already have: Even if what you have is very little.