Satisfied

It's important to take stock of our lives to determine how devoted to God we are in our inner life, in our relationship with Him? If we're not satisfied, then we can look to the Scriptures and draw near to God in order to experience His peace. The Bible says in Psalm 107:
8 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
9 For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness.

Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount in chapter 5 of the book of Matthew:
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.

Just five years ago, according to the Gallup organization, almost two-thirds of Americans indicated they were "very satisfied" in their personal lives.  Just a few weeks ago, a survey was released by Gallup that showed the number was down to 44%.  That's a record low after a peak in 2020.

This is from the Mood of the Nation poll, and examines external factors and their effects on internal satisfaction. Historically, it appears that satisfaction, or lack thereof, is tied to economic factors. 

Among those attending religious services weekly, just over half - 55% - say they are "very satisfied" with their personal life - but that is down from three-out-of-four just five years ago.  Granted, above the national average, but still over a 20-point drop from 2020.  Pre-pandemic.  A time of economic optimism, according to Gallup.

The report on the Gallup survey goes on to say:

Although the percentage of Americans who are generally very satisfied with their personal life is at its lowest point, the combined share who are very or somewhat satisfied, 81%, is not the low point. Rather, the record low for the combined measure was 73% in July 1979 during the energy crisis.

In recent years, personal satisfaction levels have varied between 78% and 85%, putting the current measure near the middle but down significantly from the 90% high in January 2020.

But the levels of personal satisfaction in the 2025 contrast with the overall appraisal of how things are going in the nation - 50% of Americans said they were very dissatisfied with the country, with 27% indicating they were somewhat dissatisfied.

So, to do a side-by-side comparison: 81% of Americans are very or somewhat satisfied with their personal lives; only 20% are very or somewhat satisfied with the country as a whole. The big takeaway, according to Gallup:

Personal satisfaction continues to far outpace Americans’ satisfaction with the U.S. This dichotomy -- whereby Americans rate their own situation better than the nation’s -- is commonly seen in polling on a number of subjects, including crime, healthcare, education and the economy/personal finance.

For the believer in Christ, we have to examine what brings satisfaction in our lives.  And, I think this can show us something important about happiness, which has been described as being dependent on external circumstances, and joy, which is independent of externals and flows from our relationship with God.  Because, the fact is, for the Christian, ideally, our level of peace and joy should come from the presence of the Lord, our adherence to His principles, and the fulfillment of His promises.  

While economic conditions can certainly contribute to our satisfaction level, we can be steadfast in the Lord even when there is economic uncertainty.  The numbers in our bank account do not have to be determinants of our level of spiritual satisfaction.  Who is sitting in the White House or in Congress or our state Legislature can contribute to the direction of our government, but our security is ultimately in the One who inhabits the throne in Heaven, to whom political leaders will give an account. 

We can be careful to seek the Lord and experience His satisfaction.  When we are abiding in Christ, we can appreciate His faithfulness and fruitfulness, which results in an abiding joy, and peace in all circumstances.