Pleasures of Life
The third group of thorns that can choke out God’s Word from working in our lives are the “pleasure of life”. Before we diagnose this problem, it’s first important to clarify that God is not a cosmic kill-joy looking to take all the fun out of life. In fact, God is the author of laughter, joy, peace, life and everything that is by nature good. A life lived by God’s design will inevitably result in greater peace and joy. (Romans 14:17)
The implication of this text is not that we should walk around gloomy and depressed, never enjoying life. Instead it is the warning against an unrelenting pursuit of pleasure above all else. When we seek to have “fun” over every other priority in life, we can end up compromising our faith for activities that are destructive in nature. Or, in a more subtle deception, we become overly busy with activities that aren’t necessarily sinful in nature, but take all of our time and add no value to the kingdom of God.
The desire for pleasure is actually given to us by God and therefore can only be fulfilled through a relationship with Him. Jesus repeatedly beckons those in need of life, refreshment, fulfillment and satisfaction to come to Him.
“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." (John 7:38)
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
"I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35)
Contrarily, worldly pleasures and sin are like an oasis; they come and go, but leave us unsatisfied and disillusioned. When Eve was first tempted to sin, she “saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise.” (Genesis 3:6) Little did she know that the outward appearance was only hiding rotten fruit on the inside. Her testimony is common to us all, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:13)
We have all eaten our fair share of rotten fruit being deceived by its shiny appearance. We have committed idolatry by placing our hope in an event, experience, position or a person to provide us with true everlasting happiness, instead of placing our trust in the living God. We have ignored the screaming inner voice of our conscience, “Don’t do it! Don’t do it!” only to find ourselves in the end ridden with guilt and shame.
James summarizes this best when he says,
Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously"? But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." (James 4:1-6)
Is there a particular sin that the Holy Spirit has brought to your mind as you’ve read these words that you know is hindering God’s work in your life? If so, you can be confident that God desires you to have victory over every temptation and that no sin is too big or to small to bring to his attention. God’s word promises, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) Come to God now acknowledging any specific sin before Him and asking Him to forgive and cleanse your conscience.
Lord, I come to you now with confidence in your mercy and in the power of Jesus’ blood. Forgive me Lord for my sin of (be specific) and wash me clean of all unrighteousness. I turn now from my sin and turn to You. Teach me to enjoy You more than any pleasure in this world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
As we come to God and lay down those things that are hindering our walk with Him (cares, deceitfulness of riches, pleasures) we will find that God’s Word has the ability to flourish in our hearts and bear fruit. (Hebrews 12:1-5) As a gardener works diligently to remove all weeds from his garden, so must we diligently guard our thought life from the snares of the wicked one. So be on guard, good solider, watch over your heart for it truly is the wellspring of life.
Christian Growth Network
