I Can’t Get No Satisfaction

Many a person walking planet earth today would say that the Rolling Stones had it completely right when they sang:

I can’t get no satisfaction,
I can’t get no satisfaction.
‘Cause I try & I try & I try & I try.
I can’t get no, I can’t get no ….

And me … yep, I spent the first 36 years of my life in that place.

Because I, like just about everyone else, thought that satisfaction was about what I could get out of life. So I worked hard. Big house. Flash car (very flash car – still remember the smell of the soft leather inside).

And whilst I was never in the mega-wealthy category, I was very comfortable and by any global measure successful – financially, career-wise, etc, etc …

Is that a brag? Nope. Just the way it was.

But I used to listen to that Rolling Stones classic – I can’t get no satisfaction – and it struck a chord with me. Because that’s exactly how I felt on the inside.

And I’d try and I’d try and I’d try and I’d try …. but still … I couldn’t get no satisfaction.

At age 36 I met Jesus in one of the darkest places of my life.  Pitch black it was except for the gentle light that was Jesus.

And the more I got to know Him, the more it seemed to make sense to me to give away what He’d given me. I don’t mean become a pauper – but to use the resources and the talents that He’d placed in my care, for other people.

Strange, but it wasn’t until I was about 42 that I realised that the biggest thing I had in my hand – was the ability to spin a yarn. To tell a story. And still it’s one of the greatest joys of my life – to use that one special gift He’s blessed me with, to bless others with.

Does that make sense?

Not because I’m a nice guy. Not because I’m clever. Not because I’m generous. Not because of anything like that.

But simply because it’s the only place – let me say that again, the only place – that I’ve ever found satisfaction. It’s just the most awesome thing to take that one gift God’s given us, that one thing we can do better than just about anyone we know, and give it away.

Is my relationship with Jesus the most important thing in my life? Absolutely.

But if I just love Jesus and then don’t do anything about it, somehow the whole thing becomes really … hollow. There’s a reason for that. It’s because … Faith without works is dead (James 2:26).

And the really amazing thing – sorry, but it’s amazing to me; maybe I’m thick, maybe I’m a slow learner, maybe it’s been totally obvious to you all along but it wasn’t to me – the totally amazing thing is that when we give that gift away, we build influence in the hearts of other people.

Because we’re blessing them through that one special gift God’s given us, all of a sudden they’re grateful and most of them want to bless us back.

It’s called influence. And the reason it works that way is that satisfaction is a two-sided transaction.

The greatest among you will be your servant. (Matt 23:11)

What an amazing bit of wisdom!!

Who are the greatest people in your life? The ones that have served you the most of course! Especially those who’ve served you with that one special gift God gave them … in order to bless you.

I mentioned a guy called Graham in my last post on influence. He is one of the greatest people in my life, because he served me and mentored me with his wisdom for 20 years.  And I happen to know that the impact that his service had in my life gives him an enormous sense of satisfaction.

Turns out that satisfaction and influence are two sides of the one Jesus coin. 

Bless ya …

Berni