The Message
I don't envy the Puritans, and not just because they didn't have indoor plumbing. Certain religious orders have been so afraid of pleasure and the temptations it might bring that they shun them all. I understand the basic idea -- when you shun all temptation, it's hard to make a certain kinds of mistakes, although I imagine the temptation to self-righteousness is on the other side of that line. But if you shun all pleasure, there's the reality that you miss much of the richness the world has to offer -- and God designed many things to be good and to be enjoyed. We're called to feast at times, just as we're called to fast at other times. We're called to celebrate with laughter and joy, just as there are other times to mourn and weep.
So where's the line between enjoying the good things in the world and being self-indulgent? When we stop recognizing the good things in the world as pointing to God and to God's ultimate glory, this is when we start erring. The sweetness of an apple and the beauty of a sunset are meant to point us to God, to lead us to worship, to teach us that God is good and can be trusted and intends good things for us.
I don't always get this right. Jesus feasted with his friends and with strangers, and he fasted in the wilderness. All of this was undergirded by prayer. His life had a constant dependence on God, and that led him into closer relationships with others and a closer relationship with God. I pray for the wisdom to know how to balance, how to choose, how to understand my life as something to be lived for the glory of God, to enjoy the good things in creation while avoiding those temptations that might lead me away from God.
The faithful life is a daily renewal of God's mercies and a daily reminder that our faith depends on God's grace, not our efforts.
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