Dissatisfaction

You might be dissatisfied today - these are certainly discouraging times. If you follow politics, we know our answer is not there; if you or loved ones have experienced coronavirus, you know its devastating effects. Yet, Jesus continues to remind us that this world is not home for us. 1st Peter 2 says:
11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,
12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Satisfaction, as I will talk about on The Meeting House today, is often derived from external circumstances, or at least as the world sees it.  True satisfaction and joy come from what's going on inside, and for the Christian, it is fed by our relationship with Christ.  When the world around us may be falling apart, He is the One who keeps us together - He will bring a level of satisfaction with life that is not of this world, even when we may face discouragement or anxiety.  He is our peace and He brings hope and strength.

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A new poll shows there is deep dissatisfaction in our country today, and in the midst of despair, there is a group of people, called by God, who are anointed to show a deep-seated confidence in Him and can display a satisfaction, not in external circumstances, but in the internal presence of the Lord. In John 15, Jesus taught:
16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
17 These things I command you, that you love one another.
18 "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Certainly, the American people have been down a tough road over the last 12 months - we are now approaching the one-year anniversary of that week when our country began to shut down over fears of the coronavirus.  While many areas of the country have opened up to some degree, there are others who face business and especially church restrictions. 

No wonder there is dissatisfaction with American institutions, according to a Gallup poll that measures a variety of metrics related to satisfaction.  A recent summary says: 

Americans' satisfaction with seven broad aspects of the way the country functions is collectively at its lowest in two decades of Gallup measurement. This includes satisfaction with the overall quality of life in the U.S., assessments of government, corporate and religious influence, and perceptions of the economic and moral climates.

The average percentage satisfied with these seven dimensions has plunged to 39% at the start of 2021. That compares with 53% a year ago, the highest average in more than a decade amid strong economic confidence and before the coronavirus pandemic took hold in the U.S.

This is called the Mood of the Nation poll, and the summary says: "Americans' satisfaction with each element of the index is at or near its lowest since 2001. This reflects declines of seven to 17 percentage points in the past year."

In the area titled "the overall quality of life," the satisfaction level dropped from 84% just one year ago to 67% this year. Yet, that is only one of two areas in which there is satisfaction, i.e. the level is over 50 percent. And, digging a bit deeper into the data, you find only 1-in-5 Americans are "very satisfied" with the overall quality of life. The other is "The opportunity for a person in this nation to get ahead by working hard," at 58%. 

Confidence in government has slid 16%, and it wasn't even over 50% last year...it is now at 27%.  And, get this, the "moral and ethical climate" metric, which was at about a-third of Americans last year is now at a stark 18%, with only three percent saying they were "very satisfied."  I believe that going hand in hand with that is this bullet point from the summary:

• For the first time, less than half of Americans are satisfied with the influence of organized religion (48%).

While I don't think that is to say that half the country wants religion to have more influence, you could draw a conclusion that if religion were demonstrated in the right way, that influence would be appreciated, and perhaps could contribute to a greater level of satisfaction.

Because, Christians, regardless of the circumstances, should exude a level of satisfaction that, quite frankly, is not of this world, because we are not of this world.  In a world searching for hope, mired in dissatisfaction, the Word of God and a relationship with Jesus Christ offer a way for someone to experience true joy, a sense of satisfaction that comes from within, not from without.

And, the principles of Scripture, if applied correctly, can change of the moral climate of America.  The indication is that people are not satisfied with a number of components - so how do we address the morality, or lack thereof, that we see?  Well, it's one person at a time, making sure our lives are right with God and living so that others may see the presence of Him within us.  And, in light of moral failure that we see, even from those who claim the name of Christ, and even may be Christian leaders, we have to make sure that our hearts are right.  That is the purpose of Lent, which began yesterday with Ash Wednesday - we must repent of our own ways and intentions that are not consistent with God's principles and allow Him to change our hearts so that His nature is seen in us.