The Search for Satisfaction: Looking for Something New Under the Sun

By David H. McKinley

We live in constant search mode looking for purpose and meaning, trying to find something, anything, that might satisfy the deep longings of our heart. Yet this search is nothing new.  Even the wisest man who ever lived struggled with these same issues finding that everything in life was meaningless, a "chasing after the wind."

Follow Solomon's search through a fascinating study of Ecclesiastes as in the depths of his despair he discovers that only the God who made the sun can offer real and lasting results under it.  Satisfaction guaranteed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: May 21, 2006
• ISBN: 9781418525835

Book preview

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Praise for The Search for Satisfaction

"A great teacher has produced an excellent first book. The Search for Satisfaction will enrich and challenge in very important ways. This book holds consequential lessons for new believers and lifelong seekers alike. Six of my own novels are based upon the teachings of David McKinley. It is wonderful to see that this fine man and excellent teacher has finally produced a book of his own."

-Davis Bunn Best-srlling Author

"David McKinley has a keen understanding of the human soul. He is also a terrific teacher and storyteller. Combine these elements and the end result is a very significant book. Read The Search for Satisfaction and you’ll see what I mean."

-Pat Williams

Sr. Vice President, Orlando Maic

Author, How to be Like Coach Wooden

Satisfaction—one word that most aptly describes both our deepest need and our most difficult, often confusing quest. David McKinley leads us past those popularized areas where true satisfaction is never found and into a place where its fullest form is available for each of us. A smooth easy read and an excellent road map for a truly satisfied life.

-Mamie McCullough,

Author and Speaker

"Exploding myths and exploring wisdom, McKinley’s Search for Satisfaction is must-reading for everyone who wants to build value into their life and impact the lives of those around them. Every leader should read this book!"

—John C. Maxwell

Author, Speaker, & Founder of ISS and EQUIP

David McKinley’s stimulating book contains solid, contemporary answers to mankind’s greatest need. I recommend it enthusiastically.

—Dr. George Sweeting

Chancellor Emeritus, Moody Institute of Chicago

"The Search for Satisfaction is an oasis of inspiration for the parched soul. Using Solomon’s insights from Ecclesiastes, David masterfully guides the reader to discover the only Source for true contentment in life. I highly recommend this volume to those who are searching for satisfaction in life, as well as those who have discovered it."

—Dr. Robert Jeffress

Pastor and Author, Spirit Wars

With pastoral insight and Holy Spirit direction, David McKinley clearly identifies what is necessary to bring satisfaction to life in a clear-cut, understandable, exciting and encouraging way. His conversational style, as he opens the door of understanding, gives you the distinct feeling he is speaking directly to you—to your heart and to your needs. Beautifully and convincingly written, McKinley reveals the love of God through the wisdom of Solomon, including clear and practical guidelines on what to seek, what to avoid, and how to make wise choices to find the satisfaction we all crave.

—Zig Ziglar

Motivational Teacher and Author, Better Than Good

"The Search for Satisfaction" is challenging and inspiring to read causing the reader to reflect about their personal life quest and where to find authentic long-term satisfaction. Here you will find hope and help in practical solutions on how to ‘do’ life."

—Vonette Z. Bright

Co-Founder, Campus Crusade for Christ, International

"In The Search for Satisfaction, David McKinley shows the way to happiness and satisfaction in life. It’s the question even history’s most successful man, Solomon, wrestled with. The answer? The last place he thought to look!"

—Josh McDowell

Author and Speaker

the search for satisfaction

> looking for

something new

under the sun

David H. McKinley

Search_Satisfaction_TXT_0003_001

THE SEARCH FOR SATISFACTION

© 2006 David H. McKinley

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotation in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Published by W Publishing Group, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version® Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Other Scripture quotations are taken from the following sources: The Amplified Bible (AMP), Old Testament. Copyright © 1965, 1987 by the Zondervan Corporation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The Holman Christian Standard Bible® (HCSB). Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. The Message (MSG) by Eugene H. Peterson. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved. The New American Standard Bible® (NASB®). Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. The Holy Bible, New International Version® (NIV®). Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. The Holy Bible, New Living Translation® (NLT®). Copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. The New Life Version (NLV). Copyright © 1969 by Christian Literature International. The Living Bible (TLB). Copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Ill. Used by permission.

Cover Design: Brand Navigation

Interior Design: Lori Lynch, Book & Graphic Design, Nashville, TN

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available

ISBN 0-8499-1200-8

Printed in the United States of America

06 07 08 09 10 RRD 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To my mom,

Jeanne McKinley—

her eyes never read these words and

her hands never turned these pages, but

her heart helped shaped every thought,

her prayers for me have been realized through this work,

her smile encouraged my faith, and

her example assured me of the

satisfaction found in knowing and following Jesus Christ.

____________

We search the world for truth.

We cull the good, the true, the beautiful,

From graven stone and written scroll,

And all old flower-fields of the soul;

And, weary seekers of the best,

We come back laden from our quest,

To find that all the sages said,

Is in the Book our mothers read.

—JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER, MIRIAM

contents

Acknowledgments

Foreword by Dr. Jack Graham

1. Living in Search Mode

2. No Matches Found

3. Life Happens!

4. My Clock Is Ticking

5. Do-It-Yourself Attitudes

6. Pride and Precipice

7. The Friendship Factor

8. Random Reflections

9. The D Word

10. Simple Pleasures

11. When Life Seems Unfair

12. Wisdom’s Sampler

13. A View from the Bottom

14. The Secret to a Satisfied Life

15. Satisfaction Guaranteed

Your Search

Notes

acknowledgments

This book is a work of heart and hands joined together. I share it with gratitude to my family, mentors, churches, and friends who have contributed to my own spiritual growth and life development.

I am grateful for Connie, my faithful life partner. Her devoted love and positive support provided the confidence and encouragement I needed to see my yearning for this book fulfilled. What we believed when we started we have proven day by day: Two are better than one (Eccles. 4:9). You are the love of my life.

I am blessed by the presence of Joseph and Mary Elizabeth in my home. They are gifts from the Lord and have added daily to the satisfaction Connie and I share together. No dad could have greater pride or joy in his children.

I must thank Tracey Drake, my ministry assistant, whose creative energy and commitment to excellence in all things have lifted my teaching ministry to a higher level. No task has been too great and no detail too small for her attention and care. Thank you, Tracey.

I am amazed how a brief word of encouragement in a hallway encounter with Debbie Wickwire, my editor, opened this door of opportunity. From a business card to a book—what a journey! Thank you, Debbie.

I add a final word of honor and gratitude to the memory of my pastor, Dr. Adrian Rogers, who stepped into heaven a few short weeks before the completion of this work. His strong voice, godly example, and satisfied life provide fuel for my walk with Christ and service each day. I took a picture with him in Israel many years ago and overlaid it with these words: As for you, David, continue in the things you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them (2 Tim. 3:14).

And, as I have signed every letter throughout my ministry, it is my prayer that this work will be unto the praise of His glory.

Foreword

Every person is on a search for life at its best. We desperately want our lives to matter. Yet so often our days are full but not fulfilling. Emptiness is the common condition of our culture. As a result, many wonder if it is possible to find real satisfaction.

I am a part of a generation that grew up in the sixties listening to Mick Jagger’s Rolling Stones sing, I can’t get no satisfaction . . . I’ve tried and I’ve tried, but I just can’t get no satisfaction. After all these years, it is still considered the number one rock song of all time, the cry of a generation that tried it all and came up empty.

Centuries ago, God spoke through the life of a man who represents every man. His name was Solomon. He recorded his life story in a kind of spiritual journal known as Ecclesiastes. Though it is an ancient writing, it is as current as your life today because it describes our search for significance and satisfaction and then offers the solution, which is found only in a relationship with the one true God.

David McKinley describes this journey into life with the skillfulness of a surgeon, the heart of a preacher, the wisdom of a scholar, and the creativity of an artist.

You, like everyone else on the planet, want your life to be meaningful. You desire something more than everything under the sun you have experienced. You may have given up the search, thinking it is impossible to find genuine peace and purpose. Let me assure you, you will find in this powerful book answers to your questions and truth for living.

You hold in your hands a life-changing book. It is not an accident that you picked it up. In fact, if you will read and think deeply about what is within these pages, you will discover satisfaction that will last forever.

So get ready! David McKinley is about to take you on the adventure of your life. What you are about to experience is not theoretical but believable, livable, and doable. The principles of God’s Word are true. If you will trust Him and follow Him, your life will not only make sense but also make a difference. There is no limit to your life if you will live it God’s way. You are about to find what you have been looking for your entire life: satisfaction.

—Dr. Jack Graham

Pastor, Prestonwood Baptist Church, Plano, Texas

the search for satisfaction

Out, out brief candle!

Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,

And then is heard no more. It is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing.

—WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, MACBETH (5.5.25–30)

chapter 1

living in search mode

Ecclesiastes 1

Every day, I go through the same routine.

With a few strokes on my keyboard and the click of a mouse, I travel through a global gateway into a world of interaction and information. My commute via the Internet is similar to a rush-hour drive, merging with masses and moving through a variety of points of passage called URLs, Web sites, and home pages.

The curious thing about this daily pattern is that it doesn’t matter where I am, who I am with, or how I am dressed. All I have to do is summon my search engine, and I am empowered to connect and communicate on the global information highway. So, day after day, it is the same. Boot up. Log on. Select an engine. Start a search.

Oftentimes, routine searches only lead to frustration. I don’t find solutions; I simply wander in search mode, wasting time, energy, and effort. I click here. Go there. Read this. Look at that. I link. I think. I log out. I walk away disappointed by my lack of success. And I wonder why I give time to such trivial pursuits, wishing I had started with a clearer plan.

One day, I realized that what I experience in my daily Internet search routine has become a way of life for many. People face each new day, hitting the Enter key to search or plug in words and phrases with the hope of finding satisfactory solutions for life. They, too, are powered by search engines. Not necessarily Google, Yahoo, or the likes of Dogpile, but their engines are revving deep within to search for greater satisfaction in life. People want answers, experiences, and contacts that will change