Recent news reports a data survey conducted by Australian National University in March found life satisfaction among Australians has fallen to 6.22 out of 10, the lowest level ever recorded. The previous lowest record was 6.52 in April 2020. In other words, Australians are less satisfied with their life now than during the COVID-19 pandemic.
More than one-third of respondents (34.9%) reported that it is currently difficult to make ends meet on their income. Nearly three-fifths of Australians (59.1%) believe that life was better 50 years ago, while a similar proportion (58.5%) expect life to be worse in 50 years.
In such surveys, the measures of satisfaction often come from factors such as income level, stability in work and life, and certainty about the future. Rising living costs, an unstable global political environment, and technological developments—especially the uncertainty about the future caused by artificial intelligence replacing some human jobs—can all trap people in anxiety and pessimism, leading to significant dissatisfaction with their current state of life.
As a Christian, how should I evaluate my satisfaction with life? If judged purely from the perspective of everyday reality, the feelings of most Christians may align with the results of this survey, since we live in the same society. However, from another perspective, for Christians—especially those who sincerely follow the Lord Jesus—there is clearly another standard by which to assess life satisfaction: our relationship with God.
Have I recently experienced God’s presence? Have I grown closer to God through prayer and reading Scripture? Have I encountered God in my daily life? Do I have a clearer understanding of God’s will for me? Have I experienced unity and joy in the Lord through fellowship?
Satisfaction in spiritual life deserves even greater attention, because it holds eternal value. When our relationship with God is close and we delight in Him, the anxiety brought about by life’s pressures can also be released.
So where is my sense of life satisfaction grounded? When the world emphasises the quality of material life, we must not overlook the quality of our spiritual life, for this is what the children of God are called to pursue.
最近的新聞報導指出，澳洲國立大學於三月進行了一項數據調查，結果顯示，澳洲人的生活滿意度在 0 到 10 分的評分標準中，下降至 6.22 分，為有紀錄以來的最低水平；此前的最低紀錄是在 2020 年 4 月的 6.52 分。換句話說，澳洲人近期對於生活的滿意度，甚至低於疫情期間的感受。
超過三分之一的受訪者（34.9%）表示，目前僅靠收入維持生活相當困難。將近五分之三的澳洲人（59.1%）認為 50 年前的生活更好，而相似比例（58.5%）的人則預期 50 年後的生活會更糟。
在這類調查中，衡量滿意度的標準或許來自經濟收入的多寡、工作與生活的穩定性，以及對未來的確定性等方面。生活成本的上升、動盪的全球政治局勢、以及科技發展——特別是人工智慧取代部分人類工作所帶來的未來不確定性——都可能使人陷入焦慮與悲觀的情緒中，進而對當下的生活狀態產生諸多不滿。
作為基督徒，我會如何評判自己的生活滿意度呢？若單從現實生活來看，或許多數基督徒的感受與這項調查結果相似，因為我們同樣生活在相同的社會環境中。然而，從另一個角度而言，對基督徒——特別是認真跟隨主耶穌的基督徒來說——顯然還有另一把衡量生活滿意度的標尺，那就是 我們與神的關係。
我最近是否體會到神的同在？是否藉著禱告和讀經與神更加親近？是否在日常生活中經歷神的作為？是否更明白神對我的旨意？是否在團契生活中享受到主裡的合一與喜樂……
屬靈生命的滿意度更值得我們關注，因為它具有永恆的價值。甚至當我們與神關係親密、享受在神裡面的喜樂時，生活壓力所帶來的焦慮也能得到釋放。
那麼，我的生活滿意度究竟是建立在什麼之上呢？當世界看重物質生活品質的時候，我們不可忽視屬靈生命的品質，因為這正是神兒女所當追求的。
