Lover of pleasure or God

 25 Nov 25

Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Life Application Study Bible Devotion


Lover of pleasure or God

Why is it so tempting to "love pleasure rather than God"? Pleasure is something we can control; God cannot be controlled. Most pleasures can be obtained easily; love for God requires effort and sometimes sacrifice. Pleasure benefits us now; the benefits of loving God are often in the future. Pleasure has a narcotic effect; it takes our minds off ourselves and our problems. Love for God reminds us of our needs and our responsibilities Pleasure cooperates with pride. It makes us feel good when we look good in the eyes of others. To love God we must lay aside our pride and our accomplishments. Have you chosen to love pleasure, or to love God? How do you know?


“treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—”

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

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Reflections

Asking if we love pleasure or God is like asking if we prefer heaven or hell. We all know the correct answer would be God but do we all really choose God when we are being given the options? I think it is easy to say that we should choose God. Pleasure and the world always stand at the other end of the spectrum. We invite them into our lives and sometimes they don’t want to leave.


Also I find that pleasure and relaxation can sometimes mean different things. While we relax or rest when we need to, seeking pleasure is a want, not a need. It is an indulgence of our carnal desires and giving our sense of control to the flesh, not caring about what is holy, or not.


I feel that living in God’s ways helps us to be reconciled to Him and His thoughts. Reading His word helps us to understand that His ways are higher than ours and that focusing on Him is better than focusing on anything or anyone else. He teaches us to be courageous when dealing with problems, facing it as it comes and not run away. It is not that we have the skills or the wisdom to handle issues but more that we have a God who is bigger than anyone. Praise You Lord 🙌🏻 

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