Ya, a paradox I know. but, hey, no worries it gets worse. Because the eternal kill joy of a gift is, pleasure. Sorry yall, it’s true, pleasure is a killjoy. Hard to believe, but that’s what I’ll be talking about. I want you all to read the next passage as a message of an (really) wise old man who had it made, and realized an important truth.
I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine–my heart still guiding me with wisdom–and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the children of man. So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. Ecclesiastes 2:1-11
Let me translate this to modern english.
I played video games all night every weekend. I talked to my friends and had fun talking about crude things. I played sports and I gave it my heart. I made one thousand friends on facebook, and posted ten thousand likes. I watched movies every weekend. I watched youtube when I was overcome by the least bit of boredom. I made best friends with my ipod, and listened to my favorite music. And behold it was all utterly pointless.
God has given man the gift of pleasure, and the gift of rest. He has given us a drive to do something ‘fun’ or pleasing. And this is a great gift, it is a gift that is amazing. Have you realized, bugs don’t have fun, nor do snakes, and lizards, birds and platypussesses. But we humans can enjoy life. We can enjoy things like beatiful mountains, lovely forests, complex music, other humans, good books, well made movies, and other works of art, both human and divine. But this gift of pleasure can also drive man to: excessive, smoking, drinking, sex, drugs, movie watching, facebooking, fantasy team managing, and other pleasure. God has given man a need for rest. ( That is why he created a day of rest). He has created man to need a break. My question to you today is this. God or man? In other words what will you pick for a rest, God’s joy, or man’s pleasure? Will you choose to get to know God better in you spare time, or will you please yourself? The thing is you can’t live for both. Either god or man not both. That is why pleasure can be a kill joy. God gives joy( satisfaction, peace, permanent fullfillment, rest) while Man gives pleasure(dissatisfaction/a want for more, fun, temporary fullfillment). Your choice is to pick. God or Man. This is the paradox, pleasure can paralize your spiritual life and kill your joy, thereby pleasure becomes a killjoy. Now let me clarify what I’m not saying. I’m not saying you can’t have fun and be a christian, you just can’t live for it. So take your pick, and your life will follow course. Kill your joy with man or maximise it with God. God or Man. You WILL pick.
dks
Interesting fact: before correcting this devo I wrote english, englich. Bad translation.
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