So many people are making up their own ideas about God and His principles that most Christians today believe things God never said and never commanded.
Recently I heard once again the phrase; "Have your fun first before having children." Nowhere in Scripture does God ever say such a thing. If we are this enamored with fun then we are not mature enough to be married and raise a family.
First God must take the pleasure mentality out of someone to be able to take marriage and children seriously. Those who have waited a long time to marry because they wanted to play are not very likely good spouses. Since they delayed responsibility so long it becomes a part of their bone and sinew, they will never mature enough to take life seriously. Most of these people remain immature their entire lives, angry with anyone who might get in the way of their play and adventures.
1 Corinthians 13:11
"11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I [a]became a man, I did away with childish things."
1 Corinthians 3:1,2
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ…
1 Corinthians 14:20
Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.
The pleasure mentality is based on selfishness, a need to win at everything, boast of triumphs, and appear special for doing what doesn't matter at all in the Christian life.
We see in our church gatherings this play mentality in the music, the hype, and the lazy casual clothing demonstrating a flippant rebellious child-like attitude toward worship. To the child play is everything, decorum is abhorred, excellence is resisted and mocked while lack of diligence is elevated.
Hedonism is rampant in this culture. Hedonism being the pursuit of all kinds of pleasure. When pleasure is the dominant response to life then good godly sense is absent.
Ecclesiastes 2:1
"2 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity."
The pleasure seeker does not sew seeds of righteousness for others to grow and progress in holiness. This pleasure seeker is hostile to anyone who instructs them to stop pursuing pleasure and begin the work of an evangelist, a father, or a mother who instructs their children in righteousness using the Bible as the instruction book.
Those who love Christ with all their heart will interpret everything they see and do according to the principles and commands of Christ.
A pleasure seeker speaks non-stop about their adventures throwing in a little twisted scripture to justify their desires to indulge themselves. They do not apply God's Word to what they do, they make up their own ideas to justify their pleasures.
When we become mature in the Lord He removes from our hearts the pleasures of the world and replaces them with the pleasure of work, evangelism, speaking, and writing about Him to anyone who will listen. We love to look at the leaves in the fall and praise God for His creation. We love to see the deer walking through our yard with their babies. Everyday life is good enough for the authentic born-again believer in Christ.
Our pleasures as born-again believers are in the simple lovely things of life such as a walk in the park, gardening, and creating things to be used for our families and for others. Our delight is in life itself as it comes to us daily. There is no need for adventures beyond our daily life because all is such a joy when we love God.
Even our hardships are filled with joy as we anticipate gaining strength through trials.
James 1:2-8
Profiting from Trials
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."
As we work through trials trusting Christ we gain wisdom. Christ always goes through our difficulties with us, we are never alone.
Pleasures almost never teach anything, they are all bound up in self-promotion, boasting, and temporary useless feelings of grandeur. As soon as the pleasure is over those who do them must do another one because the feeling is fleeting and must be repeated, it is never maintained. The feelings in pleasure are not sustainable, another adventure must occur to have the feelings all over again. But our joy in Christ never leaves us no matter what is happening.
I have found that the delights of everyday life are enough to keep my joy and peace continual, no matter what is happening. The joy of the Lord in the Born-again believer never stops even through difficulties and tears there is that deep abiding joy and expectation that God knows what He is doing and even when it hurts He is protecting us and guiding us into a deeper walk with Him.
When we live for Christ life teaches us!!!!
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