Copyright by Shea Oakley
All rights reserved
Some sensitive Christians wrestle with the question of how much even something not inherently evil can be enjoyed without it becoming an idol in their lives. For those who struggle with this internal conflict one supposed solution is to maintain at least a little sense of guilt about the good things they have in life. This way, these believers reason, they can avoid being somehow given over to the Hedonism which they fear will separate them from God.
It is true that any good gift of God can be converted into an evil in our lives if it is truly put before Him. Human beings have been perverting things in this way since the Fall and it does us no good to deny the reality of idolatries, both ancient and modern. The church today, at least in the West, does tend towards Hedonism (not to mention materialism, individualism and any number of other “-ism’s” which serve as contemporary idols.) It is important to be on guard against anything that threatens to displace God on the throne of our hearts.
That said the answer to the problem is not to frustrate God in His desire to see us enjoy life to the full. Part of not frustrating Him is found in thankfully enjoying the good gifts with which He has graced us. Our Lord does not want us to feel in any way guilty over that which is enjoyed, even intensely enjoyed, in the way He intends. As long as we use these things wisely, in moderation, and do not violate the law of charity in that use we can be free from self-imposed guilt.
If you are someone who is uneasy with feeling pleasure associated with something that is clearly not unlawful in God’s sight remember that we are expressly told in 1st Timothy 6:17 that He “richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment”. Do some serious meditation on this verse and ask the Holy Spirit to enable you to accept the truth of divine generosity. A good father loves to give good things to his children and watch them enjoy those things, and there is no better Father than the One we have in Heaven
Part of our ability to flourish in life is found in the free acceptance and wise use of good things. Someone once said that “the glory of God is man fully alive.” In ridding ourselves of unnecessary guilt over relishing the innocent pleasures God has cast upon us we are moving towards that kind of full life, which both benefits us and glorifies Him….and this cannot be a bad thing