What are you satisfied with?

What are you satisfied with?
John 4:13-14
If we ask a question to the Koreans living in Canada, "Are you satisfied to live in Canada?" Maybe, their answers will be these four kinds. "Very satisfied!" "Generally satisfied!" "Not satisfied!" "Never satisfied!" How about your answer to this question? If your answer is "Very satisfied!" or "Generally satisfied!", let me ask you a question again. "What are you satisfied with?"
Maybe, these reasons? "As you know, air and transportation in Canada are much better than in Korea. Rice, beef and gas are cheaper than in Korea. People are kind. No stress and no overwork in company compared to Korea, no educational expenses, good medical insurance, good to learn English. So I am satisfied!"
On the contrary, if you are "Not satisfied!" or "Never satisfied!" Why? Maybe, these reasons? "As you know, Ethnic, culture, language, law and food are different. Car and cost of repairing car are more expensive than in Korea. Hard to seek good jobs especially to Koreans. Rent fee is heavy burden. Children forget Korean language and Korean thinking so that the relationship between parent and children becomes worse. So I am not satisfied!"
Brothers and sisters, as you know there are advantages and disadvantages in foreign life. Nowadays most of the Koreans do not immigrate into Canada to make a lot of money. They are generally satisfied when their family are healthy, when their jobs or business are not bad, when their children are good to adapt themselves to the new educational environment.
But think. If you are satisfied because of these reasons only, you are common people. Don't you think it is not enough for Christians? When we drive a car 30 minutes from the city, we can see many Alberta cows grazing in the open field. They have vast land and good pasture. They ave no danger of lions' attack. They don't need to work hard like the Korean cattle. Obviously they are luckier than Korean cattle. I think they are happy and satisfied until they are butchered.
If our satisfaction depends on only food, clothing and shelter, what is different from the Alberta cattle and gentiles? Why on earth we immigrate into Canada? Only money? I don't think so. Lately there was a survey of public opinion in Korea. The question is "Do you want to work extra time to make a lot of money ? Or do you want to spend your life with your family even though you do not make lots of money?"
To this question, almost of the people answered, "I want to enjoy my life with my family even though I do not make a lot of money." I think Canada is one of the best countries to these people. That is, most of the Korean immigrants come to Canada not to make a lot of money but to enjoy their life with their family in better circumstances.
If so, are you satisfied when your family are healthy, when your business goes well, when your children adapt themselves to the new school? Of course, it is much better for us to thank and be satisfied than to complain and not to be satisfied with our situation. But I don't think it is good enough for the Christians to be satisfied with only food, clothing and shelter. That means, we Christians have to be satisfied by doing works of God.
Early Christians did not have good food, clothing and house like us because of the sever persecution. They could not spend time with their family in travelling. Humanly speaking, they looked unhappy and dissatisfied. But they were satisfied with their life ad they had real happiness. Especially apostle Paul faced the various kinds of dangers, hunger, no food. He was beaten and imprisoned because of the gospel.
He could not enjoy his life with his family. He did not marry and he had no children. Humanly speaking, he looked joyless, unhappy and dissatisfied. But he was greatly satisfied and really happy because he confirmed that Jesus is always with him and he had the task the Jesus has given to him- the task of testifying to the gospel. That is, Paul's satisfaction did not come from the circumstances but from Jesus. Therefore his satisfaction was not temporary and imperfect, but everlasting and perfect.
Let's see Moses. He was brought up as the son of Egypt king's princess. He had best food, best house, best education. If he wanted to live comfortably, he could. "But he refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short
time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt because he was looking ahead to his reward."(Hebrews 11:24-26) If Moses' satisfaction was on food, clothing, house and comfortable life, his life was a failure. And Paul's life was a failure too. But the bible does not say their life was a failure, but says their life was a great success, and they lived satisfactory and happy life. If our satisfaction is on food, clothing and house only, what is different from the Alberta cattle?
I want to ask you a question. "What are you satisfied with? Are you satisfied with money only ? Or are you satisfied when you have eagles and birdies in golf ? Or are you satisfied by watching TV, movie, internet ? Or are you satisfied when you go to park and have barbecue with your family?"
Of course, it is much better for you to thank God and be satisfied with ￠99 hamburger than to complain and not to be satisfied with Alberta beef tender loin. And it is much better for you to be satisfied by seeing a cheap two dollar movie than to be dissatisfied by seeing a expensive twenty dollar movie.
But what is the Alberta beef tender loin? What is the good movie? What is eagle and birdie, good house and good car? If these things have control over our happiness and satisfaction, Paul and Moses were terribly unhappy men. And I am a miserable man because I had no birdie. But don't forget! Christian's satisfaction does not depend on these things, but on the works of God. That is, to build up the church.
That's why so many Christians left their good house, good car, good circumstances and even their family, and went to the poor country to do the works of God. Without this satisfaction, don't you think our life is meaningless? Our future and our happiness depend on what we are satisfied with. If our satisfaction is only earthly things, we will be failures. But if our satisfaction is heavenly things, we will be successful.
One day Jesus came to a town in Samaria called Sychar. He was tired as he was from the journey, so that he sat down by the well. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."(John 4:13-14)
Then the woman asked Jesus, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."(John 4:15) Jesus told her, "Go, call your husband and come back."(John 4:16) The woman was very surprised at this word because she had married five times, and the man she was living together was not her husband. She tried to get satisfaction with many men, but failed. she was very thirsty for satisfaction. She needed a spring of living water, that is a real satisfaction.
But who can give a real satisfaction to this woman ? Who can give a real satisfaction to you and me living in this foreign country? Jesus said to us clearly, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks water I give him will never thirst."(John 4:13-14) This means, if we purse only earthly things to get satisfaction, there is no real satisfaction, and we will be thirsty again.
Bible says about this, "Whoever loves money never has money enough ; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income."(Eccl 5:10) But if we drink the water Jesus gives, there is real joy, real happiness and real satisfaction. Jesus has come to us to give real satisfaction. Brothers and sisters, let me ask a question. "What are you satisfied with? Aren't you pursuing the false satisfaction like the Samaritan woman or real satisfaction that Jesus gives us?"
If we are real Christians, we have to seek for the real satisfaction and we have to be satisfied with it. Jesus is the only one who satisfies us with good things even in this foreign country. Therefore the bible says, "He satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's"(Psalms 103:5) "He satisfies the thirsty and fill the hungry with good things."(Psalms 107:9) Amen!