This choice, why?

This choice, why?

Pleasure is the god of this culture. For many there is no higher value in life than ‘being happy,’ and by that they mean, ‘feeling good.’  I am no ascetic chasing some divine revelation by inflicting suffering on myself. There is no glory in seeking misery for its own sake.  But, unless we are willing to endure discomfort, we will never become all that our Designer planned for us to be. Our appetites must be governed by the higher calling of the soul or we will become slaves of our drives for ease, food, and sex. Malcolm Muggeridge, an English philosopher who came late to Christianity after living as a hedonistic agnostic, provocatively said that “The orgasm has replaced the cross as the focus of longing and fulfillment.” Shocking, perhaps; but if one thinks of the low state of our culture, we know that he is not wrong.  And our love of ourselves and our unrelenting pursuit of self-fulfillment makes us into perpetual teenagers.

Jesus’ call to His Cross, to self-denial, to humility and service as the path to the richest life possible, is a message that is nearly incomprehensible to many Americans.  Large segments of Christianity has sold out to the culture, twisting the Gospel into a scheme for gaining greater wealth right now and a means of avoiding the consequence of sin later on.  In the mouths of modern prophets, the message of the Cross is no longer the means by which we become holy and pleasing to God. It has been cheapened into a charm that lets us sidestep the judgment of God.  “You can enjoy your best life now,” the preacher says, ignoring the reminder that we are pilgrims who live as “aliens and strangers” in this world as we “look for a city whose architect and builder is God.”

The Bible says that even those in the Church can become “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—  having a form of godliness but denying its power.”  (2 Timothy 3:4) And that is where many American Christians live today, in the form of the faith, but without a genuine love for the One who is the focus of faith and without any desire for His Presence in Heaven. Sated by the pleasures of this present world, they know next to nothing of the joy of which the Psalmist sings; "Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O LORD, you preserve both man and beast. How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light." (Psalm 36:6-9, NIV)

Yes, there are glories bright, joys unspeakable, that are accessible to us, but not in sating the desires of our bodies alone. We are made for more than that. We are created in the Image of God, called to be light-bearers. But,  that image was marred by sin and evil. We can regain the beauty as we accept the grace of Christ and seek the Spirit.  Jesus says, "Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it." (Luke 17:32-33, NIV)  He alludes to the story of Abraham’s nephew, Lot, who moved to Sodom. When God sent angels to deliver Lot and his family from the judgment that was about to be sent on that city, they warned, “Don’t look back!”  But, she did, not treasuring her deliverance, longing for a return to the pleasures she had known.  Her backward look destroyed her.

Here’s a word from the Word. “Oh, Lord, call us closer to You, deeper in faith.”

"The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see." (Hebrews 11:1, The Message)  "Each one of these people of faith died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believing. How did they do it? They saw it way off in the distance, waved their greeting, and accepted the fact that they were transients in this world. People who live this way make it plain that they are looking for their true home. If they were homesick for the old country, they could have gone back any time they wanted. But they were after a far better country than that—heaven country. You can see why God is so proud of them, and has a City waiting for them. " (Hebrews 11:13-16, The Message)