"My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection..." (Phil. 3:10, HCSB). "Wherever your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matt. 6:21, NIV). "You made us for yourself, and our hearts find no peace until they rest in you." --Saint Augustine of Hippo, Confessions "There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which only God can fill through His Son, Jesus Christ." --Blaise Pascal "Christianity has not been tried and found wanting, it has been found difficult and not tried." --Chesterton
Usually, the term hedonist refers to Epicurean philosophy or the naked pursuit of pleasure for its own sake (e.g., "eat, drink and be merry..."). I am following John Piper's lead in applying this to our walk with Christ. Christ did promise a "more abundant life" (cf. John 10:10)! Some believers may miss the boat chasing pipedreams or fantasies, even what the world has to offer with all the devil's enticements, not to mention crutches such as supernaturalism, escapism, cynicism, and humanism. However, the more room for Satan entails that we open the door to our enemy the less room there is for God to fill this void (e.g., 1 John 2:15, NIV: "Do not love the world or anything in the world..."). There is joy in living for Christ and joy doesn't depend on happenings like happiness does, but cannot be taken away just like our attitude. Paul commanded in Philippians 4:4 to "rejoice always." The point is that we will not always get everything we want, but what we need (not so-called "felt-needs"). He knows our needs!
Fulfillment is not in the abundance of our possessions or how many toys we end up with but in the "fewness of our wants!" God knows us better than we do and is a primary concern is not our happiness, but using us for His glory and will. Jesus said that our "life doesn't consist in the abundance of [our] possessions." Habakkuk 3:18, HCSB, says: "[Y]et I will triumph in Yahweh; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!" [though he virtually lost everything but God!]. The most satisfying life is one lived for Christ and fulfilling one's calling with one's spiritual gifts. "For you need endurance, so that after you have done God's will, you may receive what was promised" (Heb. 10:36, HCSB). God will reward us with a heritage: "I am your shield; your reward will be very great" [or "I am your reward"] (Gen. 15:1, HCSB)
Some believers see our walk as of walking around on Cloud Nine or Seventh Heaven or on some perpetual religious high, however, eventually God will test our faith, bringing us down to earth. It's easy to have faith if one is always high, but "God withdrew from Hezekiah in order to test him and to see what was really in his heart [his motives]" (2 Chron. 32:31, NLT). We are not called to wear our religion on our sleeves nor to parade and flaunt our faith (nor to privatize it either though--per Daniel's example!). Character is only built through adversity and trial, not spiritual feelings. We can learn to rise above our feelings and be equal to the challenge! God is more pleased with faith than feeling anyway (cf. Heb. 11:6). We must learn to walk by faith (cf. 2 Cor. 5:7) than by our feelings which need not to be confused with facts. The point of feelings is that they follow they don't lead (first comes fact, then faith, then obedience, then feelings). Pascal pondered: "If man is not made for God, why is he happy only in God? If man is made for God, why is he opposed to God?"
The devil likes to catch us on a spiritual high as well as when we are depressed or brood. He knows our weaknesses and vulnerabilities. "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation," according to Henry David Thoreau. Carl Gustav Jung said, "The central neurosis of our time is emptiness...." Depression or the doldrums aren't necessarily bad but a natural course when God is speaking to us and we need to heed His Word--don't go by feelings! We note the "downcast" spirit in several psalms: Psalms 42, 43, and 143, not to mention Nehemiah. Often people don't know the reason or what is going on spiritually. Anyone can experience a depressed funk and show one has feelings and it is a pity some have none! It shows something is wrong and we need to do some soul searching--it's a warning sign or even an omen! Note that when we are at our weakest Satan will tempt us and we should not "ignorant of his schemes" (2 Cor. 2:11, HCSB). Sometimes it's good to feel not so good because we realize something is amiss or God is speaking to us. We all experience trials, troubles, affliction, and adversity and it comes with the territory; but the Chrisitan life is not hard, it's impossible! We can only live it by God's indwelling power, not the energy of the flesh. We have the power to live in the Spirit!
And in conclusion, Christians seek joy in the Lord and contentment (cf. Phil. 4:13) rather than satisfaction of every whim or fantasy and basic happiness. Those who chase fantasies are fools. Christians have dignity, purpose, and meaning in life that the secular worldviews cannot offer! We don't live for the hear and now or short term like secularists but in light of eternity; however, one day at a time (cf. Psa. 118:24)! We're not pleasure-seekers but have learned to find it in God! We have a different outlook on crisis and adversity: we see opportunity and possibility in them and room for growth in our walk--that's why no one can steal our attitude! And the answer to the question, "What's your pleasure?" is to please God doing His will of service with a smile, or practicing and applying everyday, practical holiness! Soli Deo Gloria!
Usually, the term hedonist refers to Epicurean philosophy or the naked pursuit of pleasure for its own sake (e.g., "eat, drink and be merry..."). I am following John Piper's lead in applying this to our walk with Christ. Christ did promise a "more abundant life" (cf. John 10:10)! Some believers may miss the boat chasing pipedreams or fantasies, even what the world has to offer with all the devil's enticements, not to mention crutches such as supernaturalism, escapism, cynicism, and humanism. However, the more room for Satan entails that we open the door to our enemy the less room there is for God to fill this void (e.g., 1 John 2:15, NIV: "Do not love the world or anything in the world..."). There is joy in living for Christ and joy doesn't depend on happenings like happiness does, but cannot be taken away just like our attitude. Paul commanded in Philippians 4:4 to "rejoice always." The point is that we will not always get everything we want, but what we need (not so-called "felt-needs"). He knows our needs!
Fulfillment is not in the abundance of our possessions or how many toys we end up with but in the "fewness of our wants!" God knows us better than we do and is a primary concern is not our happiness, but using us for His glory and will. Jesus said that our "life doesn't consist in the abundance of [our] possessions." Habakkuk 3:18, HCSB, says: "[Y]et I will triumph in Yahweh; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!" [though he virtually lost everything but God!]. The most satisfying life is one lived for Christ and fulfilling one's calling with one's spiritual gifts. "For you need endurance, so that after you have done God's will, you may receive what was promised" (Heb. 10:36, HCSB). God will reward us with a heritage: "I am your shield; your reward will be very great" [or "I am your reward"] (Gen. 15:1, HCSB)
Some believers see our walk as of walking around on Cloud Nine or Seventh Heaven or on some perpetual religious high, however, eventually God will test our faith, bringing us down to earth. It's easy to have faith if one is always high, but "God withdrew from Hezekiah in order to test him and to see what was really in his heart [his motives]" (2 Chron. 32:31, NLT). We are not called to wear our religion on our sleeves nor to parade and flaunt our faith (nor to privatize it either though--per Daniel's example!). Character is only built through adversity and trial, not spiritual feelings. We can learn to rise above our feelings and be equal to the challenge! God is more pleased with faith than feeling anyway (cf. Heb. 11:6). We must learn to walk by faith (cf. 2 Cor. 5:7) than by our feelings which need not to be confused with facts. The point of feelings is that they follow they don't lead (first comes fact, then faith, then obedience, then feelings). Pascal pondered: "If man is not made for God, why is he happy only in God? If man is made for God, why is he opposed to God?"
The devil likes to catch us on a spiritual high as well as when we are depressed or brood. He knows our weaknesses and vulnerabilities. "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation," according to Henry David Thoreau. Carl Gustav Jung said, "The central neurosis of our time is emptiness...." Depression or the doldrums aren't necessarily bad but a natural course when God is speaking to us and we need to heed His Word--don't go by feelings! We note the "downcast" spirit in several psalms: Psalms 42, 43, and 143, not to mention Nehemiah. Often people don't know the reason or what is going on spiritually. Anyone can experience a depressed funk and show one has feelings and it is a pity some have none! It shows something is wrong and we need to do some soul searching--it's a warning sign or even an omen! Note that when we are at our weakest Satan will tempt us and we should not "ignorant of his schemes" (2 Cor. 2:11, HCSB). Sometimes it's good to feel not so good because we realize something is amiss or God is speaking to us. We all experience trials, troubles, affliction, and adversity and it comes with the territory; but the Chrisitan life is not hard, it's impossible! We can only live it by God's indwelling power, not the energy of the flesh. We have the power to live in the Spirit!
And in conclusion, Christians seek joy in the Lord and contentment (cf. Phil. 4:13) rather than satisfaction of every whim or fantasy and basic happiness. Those who chase fantasies are fools. Christians have dignity, purpose, and meaning in life that the secular worldviews cannot offer! We don't live for the hear and now or short term like secularists but in light of eternity; however, one day at a time (cf. Psa. 118:24)! We're not pleasure-seekers but have learned to find it in God! We have a different outlook on crisis and adversity: we see opportunity and possibility in them and room for growth in our walk--that's why no one can steal our attitude! And the answer to the question, "What's your pleasure?" is to please God doing His will of service with a smile, or practicing and applying everyday, practical holiness! Soli Deo Gloria!
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