When is your appetite the biggest? A Super Bowl party, a summer cookout, at the state fair, the BBQ and chili cook-off competition? What if your appetite can’t be satisfied with the finest cuisine but demands more? What if all the things in this life can’t satisfy your insatiable appetite? What’s a poor rich miscreant to do? Can an appetite be satisfied? The Bible’s King Og must have had an enormous appetite. He was one of the giants from the remnant of Rephaim. Deuteronomy says his iron bed alone was measured in cubits which scholars believe was about 13 1/2 feet by 6 feet. WOW! Where did such a box springs and mattress come from? And what did his sword and shield weigh? It’s certain his appetite needed a big sandwich for lunch. What would a super-sized meal cost him today? History books state that when the food ran out that Og and the other giants turned on their people and began eating them. Yes, Og had an appetite as well as an attitude and was handed over to the Israelites for defeat by God.
Have you ever met a mega-millionaire who didn’t want another million? Have you ever met a mega-Hollywood star who didn’t want another Oscar? Have you ever met a megalo-maniac who didn’t want more of themselves? What is it about our inner-self that never seems to be satisfied, that never seems to be at peace, which never seems to be contented? What is this elusive ingredient that satisfies our intrinsic longing for peace and satisfaction? Does it even exist?
Take a breath and relax, there’s a solution to alleviate that voracious appetite. Money can’t buy it, brownie points won’t redeem it, and it’s not for barter or trade, and wealth and privilege won’t get you any quicker access. It’s not without a price, but money isn’t the medium for this particular exchange. This is something the whole world has trouble understanding-yet, hungers for. The “hidden in plain sight” quality is twofold—Godliness with Contentment.
The Book of First Timothy reminds us that God provides the resources needed to live a fulfilling and satisfying life. Chapter six, verse six is the launch site for a purposeful journey. “For godliness with contentment is great gain.”
In contrast to the material gain that others think is so important, the Christian finds his gain and nutrition in a non-financial way—godliness and contentment, or self-sufficiency, which ultimately results from an inner satisfaction with the situation that God has ordained for them.
Is your appetite a carbon copy of the world’s selfishness, pride, and lust for power, or do they reflect the humility and self-sacrifice of Jesus, your King? Jesus said that God’s kingdom is organized differently from worldly kingdoms. Your attitudes and appetites tend to be closely related.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Matthew 6:6
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