Have you ever noticed how sin tends to make you think and act selfishly? I've noticed that when I begin to allow certain sins to become a pattern in my life, it begins to affect the way I interact with people. I'm much less interested in the needs of others and much more focused on my own desires and needs.
And I guess this makes sense when I consider that even just the act of sinning is a selfish act. It is putting my own sinful desires before God's desires for me.
Truth be told...by pursuing my sin I'm choosing a lesser joy over a greater joy...in fellowship with God there is greater joy than any of my sins could give me...and yet I continue to pursue this lesser joy. This truth reminds me of a great C. S. Lewis quote...he writes, "It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."
So we play with mud pies when a holiday at the sea is available to us. I toy with my sin continuously when real contentment and joy is found in fellowship with my God. And my sin always leaves me feeling empty...and in the end it actually robs me of joy...it may offer me a fleeting joy...but it is not a deep joy...a truly contented joy...it just leaves me with a hunger for more sin that will leave me more and more empty.
But when I'm seeking joy in God...and when I'm running to Him rather than to my sin...it gives me selfless ability to serve others...to love others...and to know real joy.
So why do I run after the mud pies when a holiday at the sea is available for me? Forgetfulness, distraction...the cares of this life come in and instead of continuing to cling to Christ, I run after what seems to be easier to access...and that is my sin. Often times I run after sin because I begin to feel self-pity...I feel sorry for myself in the struggles of life...and think I deserve to give into my sins...to play with the mud pies...I forget about the Holiday at the sea...I forget the joy that is found in God, and run after the fleeting "joy" that is found in my sin.
This is a constant battle in my life...it will be a battle till I die...but by God's grace, I can fight for true joy in God. I need to fight for true joy in God...
And I guess this makes sense when I consider that even just the act of sinning is a selfish act. It is putting my own sinful desires before God's desires for me.
Truth be told...by pursuing my sin I'm choosing a lesser joy over a greater joy...in fellowship with God there is greater joy than any of my sins could give me...and yet I continue to pursue this lesser joy. This truth reminds me of a great C. S. Lewis quote...he writes, "It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."
So we play with mud pies when a holiday at the sea is available to us. I toy with my sin continuously when real contentment and joy is found in fellowship with my God. And my sin always leaves me feeling empty...and in the end it actually robs me of joy...it may offer me a fleeting joy...but it is not a deep joy...a truly contented joy...it just leaves me with a hunger for more sin that will leave me more and more empty.
But when I'm seeking joy in God...and when I'm running to Him rather than to my sin...it gives me selfless ability to serve others...to love others...and to know real joy.
So why do I run after the mud pies when a holiday at the sea is available for me? Forgetfulness, distraction...the cares of this life come in and instead of continuing to cling to Christ, I run after what seems to be easier to access...and that is my sin. Often times I run after sin because I begin to feel self-pity...I feel sorry for myself in the struggles of life...and think I deserve to give into my sins...to play with the mud pies...I forget about the Holiday at the sea...I forget the joy that is found in God, and run after the fleeting "joy" that is found in my sin.
This is a constant battle in my life...it will be a battle till I die...but by God's grace, I can fight for true joy in God. I need to fight for true joy in God...
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