Thought Provoker

My friend Doug preached a great sermon at the church where I used to be on staff (heard here).  In his message, he talked about how God is not just satisfying but all-satisfying.  You can easily see the distinction.

A satisfying God means there's a feeling like a belly full of pot roast, like a cold Dr. Pepper in the hot afternoon, like a hot shower after a long day of work.  Satisfying.  All conditions that make you lean back a little and let out that little part-moan-part-sigh of pleasure.  The only problem?  You get hungry again.  You get thirsty again.  Work happens again and you need to take yet another shower.  Satisfying?  Yep.  But you need more and more and then more and more and then more and more after that.  It's why some Christians live experience to experience, retreat to retreat, camp to camp, new album to new album, conference to conference, even Sunday to Sunday.  Like Tarzan swinging in the jungle, they live on the momentum of the last vine until it runs out and they have to grab a new one.

An all-satisfying God is different.  Our All-Satisfying God means that we don't have to run anywhere else or to anyone else.  It means that the only vine we grab is Him.  It means we can let go of the other things that we hold so dear and think that we need, like a kindergartner who leaves his stuffed animal at the house on the first day of school.  It means that every source we turn to seeking satisfaction, security, identity, and purpose is put aside for the All-Satisfying Source and Sustainer of everything.

So Doug put this out and it's worth pondering today:

Because God is All-Satisfying, __________________ doesn't have to be.

What goes in your blank?  And how does that affect your day, week, year, marriage, parenting, evangelism, Bible study, church attendance, worship, spiritual disciplines, employment, entertainment intake, and every other area of your life?

But that's just me (and my boy Doug) thinking thoughts...