THE MAGIC IT
Why are we never satisfied? This blog will read more like a preach than previous efforts. I am, after all, a preacher, and the truth contained in this week’s blog is too good to miss.
The pursuit of “more” is global and timeless. King Solomon, arguably and historically one of the wisest men to ever walk the earth, undertook an early, ancient social experiment. Solomon’s famous pursuit was for the “MAGIC IT,” or as authors Daniel Lieberman and Michael Long put it, “The Molecule of More.”[1] Solomon’s pursuit for “more,” “enough,” “the perfect lasting dopamine hit” or “the MAGIC IT” is perfectly summarised by his statement; “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labour, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”[2] Solomon went to great lengths for the MAGIC IT, including building palaces and having 300 wives and 700 concubines No matter what he did, he sought more. His rather sober conclusion, which I will highlight at the end of the blog, is a great reminder for us all.
In “The Molecule of More”, Lieberman and Long brilliantly clarify a common misconception about dopamine: that it is responsible for the feeling of pleasure. Dopamine was often referred to as the “pleasure molecule,” but Lieberman and Long suggest, with research supporting their proposal, that this understanding is incomplete. Rather, they say, dopamine is not primarily about pleasure itself but about “anticipation”[3] and the pursuit of future rewards. Dopamine drives us to seek out things we believe will bring us pleasure or satisfaction, but the actual experience of pleasure, once we attain something, is handled by other neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and endorphins.[4] That dopamine motivates us to chase after things we don’t yet have, focusing our attention on potential rewards is a clear indicator of why Solomon, and subsequently we, never “have enough.” Dopamine, therefore, is the chemical of “wanting,” not “liking.” In other words, dopamine fuels desire and ambition, pushing us to constantly seek more, but it doesn’t give us the feeling of contentment or happiness when we achieve our goals. Without a doubt, dopamine as “anticipation” rather than “achievement” is a threshold moment.
The authors emphasise that dopamine is a future-oriented chemical. It activates when we think about possibilities, new opportunities, or novel experiences, keeping us in a state of anticipation. Hence why people driven by dopamine are often more focused on what they want or can achieve next, rather than enjoying what they already have. The pleasure itself, on the other hand, is a result of other neurochemicals that come into play after dopamine has helped us reach our goals. This shift in understanding—that dopamine is more about anticipation than pleasure—helps explain behaviours, even in Solomon, like addiction or endless ambition. Addicts, they say, are not chasing the high itself (pleasure) but the anticipation of that high, which is driven by dopamine.[5] Similarly, highly ambitious individuals may find themselves perpetually dissatisfied, always striving for the next achievement without ever feeling truly fulfilled because dopamine keeps them focused on what’s next rather than on the pleasures of the present.
I wonder how much this contributes to the church pastor whose pursuit of more people, programs, outreach, finance, etc, fuels the growth in some churches and their leaders and the demise in others. Is it possible that there are healthy doses of dopamine hit and unhealthy for the pastor? Personal reflection and global observation lead me to conclude that this is the case.
Sadly, I reminisce over moments where, instead of truly enjoying moments and celebrating major church and personal wins with friends, we have moved on too quickly in pursuit of the next major “moment.” In reflection, perhaps it was the anticipation of the next “hit” of evangelism or perceived church “success” that drove us. Fortunately, about five years ago, we unknowingly recognised this threshold, “molecule of more,” understanding and recognising our need to slow down and properly celebrate the significant events/moments in church. In the UK, the American tradition of Thanksgiving doesn’t exist. My wife suggested we add it to our church calendar for our teams to stop, thank God and thank each other for moments in the previous year that created momentum for us all. It has worked. (Perhaps, however, the anticipation of Thanksgiving meals and celebrations is merely perpetuating the next hit also?)
While King Solomon’s pursuit of the “MAGIC IT” left him with an overwhelming, or perhaps underwhelming sense of meaninglessness, his conclusion in Ecclesiastes chapter 12 was that we should all “fear God & keep His commandments.”[6] In that passage, fear does not mean to quake in terror. Fear has several shades of meaning. It,
- means to acknowledge God’s good intentions
- is produced by God’s Word
- makes us receptive to wisdom
- gives us a proper perspective of ourselves
- helps us when we are tempted
- motivates us to become more like Christ
With some trepidation about oversimplifying matters, if “fearing God” can be distilled into the six points above, and if keeping God’s commandments is as succinctly summarised by the Apostle Paul— “The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not covet,’ and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ Love does no harm to a neighbour. Therefore, love is the fulfilment of the law” [7]—then perhaps the real “MAGIC IT” isn’t an “IT” at all. Instead, it’s a Person. (NB: Col 3:4 says, “When Christ who is your life appears…”)
And while I hesitate to call Jesus magic, when He enters a person’s life, nothing else quite compares.
“Thus endeth the sermon.”
[1] Lieberman, Daniel Z, and Long, Michael E. 2018. The Molecule of More: How a Single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity―and Will Determine the Fate of the Human Race. Dallas, Texas: BenBella Books Inc.
[2] Ecclesiastes 2:10-11.
[3] Lieberman and Long, 33-34.
[4] Ibid, 45-46.
[5] Ibid, 93-94.
[6] Ecclesiastes 12:13.
[7] Romans 13:9-10.
About the Author
Glyn Barrett
I am the founding, Lead Pastor of !Audacious Church in Manchester, England. I was born in Manchester, but moved to Australia at the age of two. My wife and I were married in Australia and began married and ministry life in England 28 years ago. After serving as youth pastors for 12 years, we moved to Manchester to pioneer !Audacious Church. As a church we now have 7 locations. 3 in Manchester, Chester, Cardiff (Wales), Sheffield, and Geneva (Switzerland). In 2019 I became the National Leader of Assemblies of God in Great Britain. We have over 600 churches in our movement and have planted 88 new churches since May 2022 with a goal of planting 400 new churches between May 2022 and May 2028. I am the European Lead for MM33, which is the church planting ministry for Assemblies of God Global and also chair Empowered21 Europe. I'm happily married to Sophia, with two children, one dog and two motorbikes. I love Golf, coffee and spending time with friends. I love to laugh, make friends and create memories!16 responses to “THE MAGIC IT”
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I loved the sermon, thanks, Glyn! Embrace the Thanksgiving dopamine anticipation…and next Thursday…I plan to let the H&N chemicals let me savour every bite and moment I spend with friends. 😉 I love how your church is incorporating giving thanks. What ways have you found help you make the transition from the dopamine anticipation to then move to the H&N enjoyment of the same (anticipated) moment?
Thank you Kari! Transitioning from dopamine-driven anticipation to H&N enjoyment requires intentionality. Here are some ways I’ve worked on this transition:
Pause for Gratitude: Before moving on to the next thing, I take a moment to acknowledge and give thanks for the present. Thanksgiving meals or team celebrations are perfect opportunities for this, but I’ve also practised a simple pause in daily moments.
Create Rituals of Celebration: Incorporating traditions like our Thanksgiving celebration but also planning reflective moments with my teams/ to celebrate other occasions ensures we slow down to enjoy wins together as a community and family.
Practice Mindfulness: Being fully present helps shift the focus from what’s next to what’s now. Whether it’s a quiet prayer or reflecting on a moment, it’s about appreciating the gift in front of me.
Glyn, this is great, thank you. Do you ever experience that “underwhelming sense of of meaninglessness” once what you anticipated has arrived? What can you do – or have you done – to appreciate the present? (I ask this because I’m not very good at it myself! And I also recognize it’s a similar question to Kari’s.)
That “underwhelming sense of meaninglessness” after an achievement is something I’ve definitely felt. Here’s what I’ve done to appreciate the present:
Reframe Success: I remind myself that success isn’t just the outcome but also the journey. I try to enjoy the process as much as the result.
Celebrate Small Wins: Celebrating along the way helps prevent the feeling of hollowness once the big moment arrives.
Anchor in Purpose: Solomon’s wisdom—“fear God and keep His commandments”—reminds me to focus on the eternal significance of what I do, which adds meaning even to fleeting achievements.
Glyn,
Admit it… you just are jealous that Americans have a holiday that the Brits didn’t get to enjoy. I hope that you get stuffed with turkey and potatoes.
I was prepared for a three point sermon and you gave us six.
I was also reading your blog just after reading Grahams. You should go to his and interact with it this week as you are both on similar tracts as far as dopamine and the church.
Your insight on the church resting in the H&N and the leaders seeking more dopamine is a great insight and I am glad that you learned to celebrate an American holiday because of it.
I remember when I got hired as a firefighter after 4 years of working to get the job. Everyone wanted to go out and celebrate and I instead was hestitant to celebrate it as I still had to go through the academy, then probation, etc. There was always more for me to get through that I never really stopped to celebrate along the way. I have since learned to celebrate the steps along the way.
Adam, I laughed out loud at your opening comment, yes, I may be a tad jealous of your “turkey” holiday! You make an excellent point about celebrating milestones rather than rushing through them. I’ve learned that allowing space for joy and reflection in the small steps transforms the overall journey. Your story about becoming a firefighter is a great example of how easily we fall into the “what’s next” trap, but celebrating those incremental steps brings so much life to the process. Appreciate you pal.
Hi Glyn, I appreciat-eth the sermon. You provided an excellent summary of Lieberman and Long’s work concerning dopamine. I also appreciate your honesty in discussing how we often move quickly towards the next “success” and forget to enjoy and celebrate wins in the here and now. I believe missionaries struggle with the same dilemma. How has Solomon’s conclusion of the matter encouraged you to celebrate the here and now?
Elysse, thank you for your kind words and your question! Solomon’s conclusion—“fear God and keep His commandments”—encourages me to live with a sense of reverence and alignment to God’s purposes. This shifts my focus from the fleeting pursuit of “more” to the eternal value of relationships, growth, and gratitude. Celebrating the “here and now” becomes easier when I view these moments as part of God’s grand story, rather than simply milestones I’ve reached.
Hi Glyn, thank you for your post.
From a pastor’s perspective, how can a congregations support their pastors or church leaders in recognizing and celebrating current achievements without immediately shifting focus to the next goal?
Shela, great question! Congregations can play a vital role in supporting pastors and leaders by:
Affirming Their Efforts: Regularly expressing appreciation for their leadership creates a culture of gratitude.
Participating in Celebrations: Joining leaders in intentional moments of thanks—like our Thanksgiving tradition—helps focus on what’s been accomplished.
Encouraging Sabbath: Encouraging and modelling rest can help leaders slow down and reflect without guilt.
Hey Glyn! Great post and I appreciate the semi preachment within it. As pastors we have goals and objectives. We are visionary and can see more than those around us at times. In a multi cultural and highly populated church I am sure you always see opportunities and things you can improve upon. How do balance the dopamine temptation not to become addicted to the more and more as more continues to happen for yourself and your ministry?
Daren, as pastors, it’s easy to be driven by vision and the opportunities we see. To balance this, I’ve found three key strategies:
Accountability Partners: Surrounding myself with people who challenge me to pause and celebrate helps.
Prayerful Reflection: This allows me to discern whether my drive is from God or personal ambition.
Set Rhythms of Rest and Reflection: Regularly scheduled retreats and moments of pause ensure I don’t get caught in an endless cycle of “more.”
Glyn, thank you for your insights to pastors and the Church. You address the tension between pursuing “more” and finding meaning in the present, as Solomon concluded. How do you coach your own leadership team to balance ambition and contentment without letting the drive for growth overshadow gratitude and reflection?
Thank you, Chad! Coaching my leadership team to balance ambition and contentment involves:
Teaching the Value of Reflection: We’ve incorporated a practice of celebrating wins at every team meeting before discussing what’s next.
Modelling Gratitude: As a leader, showing gratitude sets the tone for others to do the same.
Encouraging Purpose Alignment: Constantly revisiting the “why” behind our ambition helps us balance growth with gratitude.
Hi Glyn, I think I might be the odd one on this. I agree that the quest for bigger and what’s next might be a problem if people don’t stop to celebrate that people are coming to Jesus. Yet, another point of view is that there are still more people who haven’t heard the gospel and could the energy be God given? I do think a balance in life is important and that there is a time for every purpose under heaven. But I also like that your overarching goal is to preach the Gospel of salvation in Jesus. Not sure there is a question in there but just my reflections. Incidentally, even though Solomon was wise, he really did live in the world of excesses – maybe we all do compared to the rest of the world. Peace.
Diane, you bring up an excellent point—there is indeed a God-given energy that fuels us to reach more people with the Gospel. I wholeheartedly agree that balance is crucial. While there’s always a sense of urgency in sharing Christ, ensuring we rest, celebrate, and recharge aligns with God’s design. Even Jesus took time away to rest and pray despite the pressing needs around Him. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Peace to you as well!