As we seek to sum up the stark contrast between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness, one word differentiates them: contentment.

Jesus said that He offers living water that brings ultimate fulfillment, yet the world around us continues to seek and strive after every other form of satisfaction. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life tempt society today just as they tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden. When the serpent appeared to her, his primary aim was to convince her that God was withholding good things because He didn’t want her to have all that He had. However, that was a lie then and it is still a lie today, and the result is a constant quest on the part of humankind for the next best thing. I remember someone sharing about going to a Rolling Stones concert (and don’t get me wrong, I think the Stones are great), and he said that there was a poignant moment during the show when thousands of people in the arena sang the line “I can’t get no satisfaction” over and over again. Though it must have been memorable, the sad truth is that this is the theme song of the modern generation!

Friend, all the desires of your flesh and your eyes are available to you, and you are free to feed your ego lavishly and live a life bursting with pride, but that is not God’s best for you! In fact, the deeper you get into those things, the thirstier and more trapped you become. In contrast, the wonder you have been offered in Jesus is contentment — a posture of heart that says no matter what you have or don’t have, you are completely satisfied. Knowing Christ and living every day in His Presence is the key to true joy and happiness because in Him, you have all that you will ever need! Isn’t that wonderful news?