Enjoyment As Our HIghest Aim

If you were to ask many Christians today what they thought was the greatest Christian virtue, many I believe would answer unselfishness, or at least something along these lines. This is understandable since so much of scripture speaks about self-denial and the idea of "dying to self." Many prominent Christians would cite, "The Cost of Discipleship," as one of the best Christian books of the 20th Century, a book that deals at length with this notion of "dying to self." Yet while unselfishness is certainly a biblical theme, I believe it misses the point of what I think is most necessary when understanding human nature and how man ultimately can please God.

What exactly does please God? That is the $64,000 question is it not? For those who have faith and want to live and please God in all that they do, have to be aware of a certain principle or else they really can't worship God as they should. As much as we may laud the idea that humankind needs to be more altruistic and less individualistic in their daily lives we can't escape the simple fact that all men seek happiness. As Blaise Pascal writes, "This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war, and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. The will will take the least step but to this object. This is the motive of every action of man, even of those who hang themselves."

Agreeing with Pascal's premise about the human motive, I think a better virtue for Christians to strive for in their daily lives than unselfishness would be one to seek enjoyment. This, I understand, makes one shake their head and say "how can that be?" It seems to run contrary to everything Christianity is about. Or does it? Think about a time you may have read a book that you especially enjoyed. If you had the opportunity later on to meet the author and told him how much you enjoyed his book, is there a better way that you can show your appreciation for him than that? But I understand how you still may question how seeking enjoyment is the greatest of virtues. Could this be because of the fact that too often we see people seeking enjoyment by "making mud pies" as C.S. Lewis would call it?

Man by his very nature is a worshiping creature. All over the world at this very moment man is worshiping something. It could be work, play, philosophy, sports, entertainment...the list goes on and on. And we always will worship things that give us enjoyment even if it is in the most primal of ways. This is what C.S. Lewis means when he speaks of gaining enjoyment from making mud pies. Seeking enjoyment as our highest aim is not wrong, it is as natural a law among humans as is the law of gravity in nature. Where the problem lies however, and perhaps why Christians don't place a value on enjoyment, is the fact that so many find enjoyment in the most common of things. Not that all things common are bad. I enjoy going out weekly with my friends just to hang out and have a couple of beers . There is nothing wrong with this in and of itself. By contrast though I get to see my friends once a week at church where we share in the worship of our God and know the joy that comes with being one of God's covenant people. I know what it is to be basking in the sun at an exclusive resort as well as making mud pies. But for too many people, and not just those outside the household of faith but people in the kingdom as well, life is too many days creating mud pies like a toddler at the beach.

All the unselfish acts that we long to practice as Christians to help out our family, friends, and neighbors all need to go piggy back on our first enjoying God and knowing Him. Nothing else compares to God and the beauty of His very nature. Finding other ways to please God without making it ones highest desire to live as Psalm 37:4 says..."Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart" is simply putting the cart before the horse.

In closing I'd like to make a reference to a book by John Piper that explains this subject in greater detail that I can. "Desiring God, Meditations of a Christian Hedonist" is a work that magnificently explores the idea of the Westminster Divines who penned the first question to the their shorter catechism to be, "What is the chief end of man?" The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever. May we all come to learn that enjoyment is a good thing and may we find fulfilling enjoyment in knowing God.

Are There "Safer" Tyrannies?"

One of the biggest regrets I have about the planning of my wedding was the decision not to include alcohol at the reception. This was a decision that at the time seemed like the wise thing to do. After all we belonged to a church that had baptist roots and the partaking of alcoholic beverages is frowned upon in "baptist circles" and many other denominational sects within Christianity. While I never agreed with the notion of drinking alcohol to be sinful or even remotely wrong if taken in moderation, I was captured by another idea that made me "play it safe" within Christian circles.

There is almost a universal notion among Christians to do the things that do not damage our personal testimony or do potential harm to another "brother." This belief, which has merit in some respects, too often can fall into the trap of the "better safe than sorry" idea which I spoke of in my previous blog. This idea of playing it safe is really akin to a form of tyranny that ultimately does more harm than good to the cause of Christianity.

Getting back to my regret about not having beer or wine at my wedding reception was really my falling victim to the "tyranny of the minority." First was the notion of some that drinking "strong drink" was somehow damaging to a Christian's personal testimony. This minority point of view believes that somehow drinking alcohol would make one appear to be part of "the world" so to speak and therefore might make one display conduct unbecoming of a Christian. Interesting that I never challenged this notion especially since the Lord Jesus was considered a "winebibber" by the Pharasees...and sinners seemed to delight in His company. And while the idea of protecting a "weaker brother" from the potential dangers of alcohol may seem on the surface a good idea, doesn't it actually enable the "weaker brother" to remain weak? I am not suggesting that we never use discretion and there may be times when we refrain from some things, like maybe not taking an alcoholic to a tavern. But at a time of celebration, a wedding no less, should we let the ideas of the minority run tyranny over our lives?

When reading the bible it is obvious to even the most simplest of readers that it is an R-rated book. God chose to write about things that are far from the land of "Mary Poppins." Yet why do Christians find it so necessary to live a life like Mary Tyler Moore or Julie Andrews and always stay in a G-rated world. Too often I go to events held by "church folk" that have mild salsa with their tortilla chips, decaffeinated coffee with their pastry, and certainly never a beer or a glass of wine when they host a dinner. This is all about "being better safe than sorry." But by avoiding risks are we really saying more about ourselves and our lack of comfort in our own skin? Too often we want to present a picture of ourselves that is actually not attractive to the world at all. How often do people who are perceived as "goody twoshoes" ultimately decide to "cut loose" and do something wild because they don't like to being thought of as Ward or June Cleaver. God wants us to be ourselves, step out in faith and engage the world where we are, and take some risks, and yes make some mistakes. Most of all He wants us to love and trust in Him and not fall prey to "tyrannies" of any kind. Remember it was Ghandi who said, "I love your Christ, it's just His Christians I don't like. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.