Pleasure

Along the path of my Christian walk, I occassionally come across something monumental that has a lifelong impact. Some years ago I read the book "Desiring God" by John Piper. This book was one such monumental encounter.

Piper's shocking term that he uses throughout the book is "Christian Hedonism". Hedonism is the philosophy of seeking pleasure at all costs. It is something we believers associate with crass depravity and degeneration. And in a worldly sense it is. The Christian life on the other hand is often seen as a life of surrending our desires and living a self-sacrificial life, denying pleasures and living for God out of duty. In a sense it is.

However, the denying and sacrifice is not of all pleasure. Rather it is denying ungodly and evil desires and pleasures and exchanging it for the better, pure pleasure. The truth is that God created us to find pleasure and happiness in our relationship to Him. He created so that the highest pinnacle of joy and fulfilled desire is realized when we find Him! This is not to be confused with our outer circumstances, which are usually filled with troubles. But in our inner peace and enjoyment of fellowship with the Lord.

It comes to this: God WANTS us to find the fullness of spiritual pleasure in Him. Piper says it this way: "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." In other words, we glorify God the most when we enjoy Him the most. The reason we sin so often is that we believe we will find more pleasure in the sin than we would in the Lord. What an afront to God. The truth is that walking with Christ is the only path to the highest happiness.

Psalm 16:11 You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Psalm 63:2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. 3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. 4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.

Genesis 15:1 After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward."

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace...

If I want to please God; if I want to glorify Him, then I should seek the pleasure found in Him. And I must believe that my highest happiness is found in obeying Him and demonstrate my faith by living it.

Seek true pleasure!