Satisfied?

Happiness gives life purpose.  As Blaise Pascal illustrates, “All men seek happiness… The will never takes the least step but to this object. This is the motive of every action of every man, even of those who hang themselves.”  I believe that hedonists have the right idea, searching for what brings the most pleasure, bent on attaining satisfaction of the soul.  Running with the assumption that Pascal’s quote rings truth, what gives us the most enjoyment, thus fulfilling our human purpose, satisfying the yearning inside every person’s heart?  The only satisfaction comes from Christ.  A life lived as He commands finds true happiness. 

                At this point we must, “Let reason kneel in reverence outside,” as A.W. Tozer says, realizing that through logic the pursuit of Christ cannot be proven as the ultimate satisfactory endeavor.  This I believe is faith, to know beyond a doubt through practice and experience that only by pursuing Christ can we find happiness.  This idea of living to satisfy ourselves through Christ ultimately takes the place of reason then when Christians fish for men, leading unsaved people to Christ.

                If Christ truly satisfies people’s inmost desires, then the most effective evangelism shows unsaved people that satisfaction.  Practically and experientially, the effective evangelist gives the unbeliever samples of Jesus so that he can taste and see that the Lord is good.  The experience brings faith.

                We then should act like the desperate street peddler who sells good food, wafting the smell of Christ through the streets, tempting the skeptic with samples of eternity.  Jesus gives us our motivation for acting as the tempter when he promises us that our reward will be great in heaven.  What is that reward?  More of what got us into the occupation of fishing for men, Jesus, awaits us.  Not just samples, but a straight shot of pure, concentrated God.