Indulging in life's pleasures: a sin?

[sedulous_samantha]

Hello everybody, :wave:

I have received many wonderful responses to my threads at CF, and felt lost when the website was down for so long on Sunday! I am very happy that I've found such a great place. Thank you for being so supportive.

Now, for another one of my questions. ;)

I'm reading the Purpose-Driven Life, and the 'point to ponder' for Day 1 is "It's not about you". Rick Warren says that "the purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment", and I would agree, to a certain extent. Now, I know that many people aren't a fan of this book or of Rick Warren, and so may contest his opinions. I know however that he does have much more experience with Christianity than I do, so I am inclined to think that there is a note on that point to ponder somewhere in the bible. (If anybody could find anything, I'd appreciate it.)

Therefore, I want to start remembering that "it's not about you" in my daily life. For instance, I want to be a greater giver to my family, boyfriend and friends and anybody else that comes my way. I think this is definitely a Christian value and one that I would like to develop in.

However, I have a query. Where do "life's pleasures" fit in? By this, I don't mean sins such as fornication, I mean the little things like: eating a chocolate cake :yum:, watching Friends, going shopping because you love it and spending far too much on a new nail polish. Now, if life's "not about you" - are these pleasures then sins? I could have given the money I spent doing all those things to a charity, for instance. Here are a few more examples: going on holiday, buying a house that's bigger than you absolutely need, wearing make up to make you look more attractive on the outside and spending time on the internet playing Yahoo! pool. There are many more. Some of these could be classed as material things, but others - such as games - can't really be.

I will try and rephrase my question as some of you are probably wondering what on Earth I mean here! Ok - are the things that aren't necessary for surviving all sins in God's mind? What does the bible have to say about recreation and the little pleasures that make us smile?

Thanks guys - I'd love to see your responses.

[Jenna]

Ok - are the things that aren't necessary for surviving all sins in God's mind?

NO!

[Celticflower]

Ok - are the things that aren't necessary for surviving all sins in God's mind? .


I certainly hope not!!!! God took a "day off" after he finished with creation right? Of course we don't know what he did, but whatever it was, it was possibly some sort of recreation. God takes pleasure in things (the aroma of burnt sacrifice, we are told, is pleasing to God). I think God realizes we all need time and things to recharge the batteries, relax our minds, rest our bodies--and indulging in some of life's pleasures is how many do it. As long as it is not something done contrary to Biblical teaching (IE: breaking one of the 10 Commandments would be a big No No) and these pleasures do not become the main focus of your life, I think it is okay. I don't think he will begrudge you a bottle of nailpolish or me a day being lazy at the park with my kids every once in a while.

Celtie

[A. believer]

Hello everybody, :wave:

I have received many wonderful responses to my threads at CF, and felt lost when the website was down for so long on Sunday! I am very happy that I've found such a great place. Thank you for being so supportive.

Now, for another one of my questions. ;)

I'm reading the Purpose-Driven Life, and the 'point to ponder' for Day 1 is "It's not about you". Rick Warren says that "the purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment", and I would agree, to a certain extent. Now, I know that many people aren't a fan of this book or of Rick Warren, and so may contest his opinions. I know however that he does have much more experience with Christianity than I do, so I am inclined to think that there is a note on that point to ponder somewhere in the bible. (If anybody could find anything, I'd appreciate it.)

Therefore, I want to start remembering that "it's not about you" in my daily life. For instance, I want to be a greater giver to my family, boyfriend and friends and anybody else that comes my way. I think this is definitely a Christian value and one that I would like to develop in.

However, I have a query. Where do "life's pleasures" fit in? By this, I don't mean sins such as fornication, I mean the little things like: eating a chocolate cake :yum:, watching Friends, going shopping because you love it and spending far too much on a new nail polish. Now, if life's "not about you" - are these pleasures then sins? I could have given the money I spent doing all those things to a charity, for instance. Here are a few more examples: going on holiday, buying a house that's bigger than you absolutely need, wearing make up to make you look more attractive on the outside and spending time on the internet playing Yahoo! pool. There are many more. Some of these could be classed as material things, but others - such as games - can't really be.

I will try and rephrase my question as some of you are probably wondering what on Earth I mean here! Ok - are the things that aren't necessary for surviving all sins in God's mind? What does the bible have to say about recreation and the little pleasures that make us smile?

Thanks guys - I'd love to see your responses.
I recommend John Piper's book, Desiring God: Confessions of a Christian Hedonist. I think it'll give you a better perspective.

[kermit the toad]

Of course we are allowed to enjoy life! Enjoying life is not a sin. Sure, sin is often pleasurable--if it wasn't, we wouldn't be tempted--but that doesn't mean that all things pleasurable are sinful. I hardly think that one would be condemned by God for eating a piece of cake.

[Jenna]

There are so many things that are spoken of in a pleasant light, in the bible. There were wedding celebrations, drinking, good food, good music, jewelry, beautifully braided hair, robes of great color, a land of 'milk and honey'. God has given us a great wealth of things to enjoy while we are on this earth. I like to think of them as my 'bridal gift', a treat from the Groom to his bride. It's a wonderful blessing to be able to enjoy great things in life.

Now, the only difficulty comes in when a bride desires and cherishes her gifts and baubles more than she desires and cherishes her Groom that gave them to her. It's an afront to His love when she squanders the time that she should be working and caring for his family and possessions, becoming 'drunk' on the goodness that he has given her. He keeps her sated with good food and drink, but it is an affront to His gracious gift if she chooses not to spend time with him because she is too occupied with gluttony, ingesting all the choice foods without even including Him at her table.

It's all about moderation, giving thanks where it is due, and always keeping priorities in line. :) There is nothing wrong with enjoying God's varied blessings in this life. He wants for us to be happy, but above even that, He wants us to be happy with/in Him.

:clap:

[kermit the toad]

Well said Jenna! :)

[Mobidem]

yeah very well said Jenna...

I look at it this way... If you do something that you know is bad, then it is a sin. If you choose to indulge in a pleasure, in the knowledge that you are taking time, money or anything from GOD that you would have if you did not indulge, then yes that is a sin.

I look at it in the context of my life verse (philippians 4:8-9) where my pastor recently did a sermon on this and it came to this. If you cannot fit it in that verse, then should you be doing it. Sounds kind of cut and dry, but sometimes GOD is just like that...

[LuxPerpetua]

This is why we are saved by grace through faith, not by works themselves. ;) We can never, even as Christians, be continously non-selfish and ever-giving to others, nor does God expect that of us (even when we look at Jesus' life we can see that He wasn't constantly doing charitable works: he went to a wedding, he feasted and was considered a glutton, he sometimes went off to be by himself to pray rather than heal the sick, etc.). God created the world and pronounced it "good"--and He created all of that for us--not for us to abuse but to enjoy and be thankful to Him. As to whether eating chocolate cake is a sin or going on a vacation is a sin, etc., I think the easy answer is that you should never do anything knowingly against your conscience (God's will as revealed to you by the Holy Spirit). The reality is that we are all going to sin and we should pray to God always to perfect and sanctify us, not because we should worry about being "saved" in the end but rather out of an inner desire to help this ailing world and also to spare us and others the hurt that sin causes. God really has blessed us so much in this day and age--most of us, in the US anyway, do not suffer from poverty or famine, and we have the luxury and technology nowadays to travel around the world--things that haven't been available at any other century! So long as we remember that it was God who in His grace has blessed us (and thus it is nothing that we have done to merit these blessings) I don't think we are in sin if we partake and enjoy, always giving God thanks.

[Adoniram]

Hi Samantha

As to your "it's not about you" question, there are many verses that pertain to it. To highlight a few-

Matthew 6
31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

This passage simply implies that if you seek to honor God in your daily life, he will honor you by insuring that you have all that you need. I would take this to include the simple pleasures in life.

What are some ways to honor God? For starters, the Beatitudes are good to keep in mind.

Matthew 5
2 and he [Jesus] began to teach them saying:
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

But perhaps the greatest way to honor God, other than believing in him, is as Jesus said, "that you love one another, as I have loved you." [John 15:12]

God Bless