THE BLESSING OF ENJOYMENT

“Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly ALL THINGS TO ENJOY” – 1 Timothy 6:17

BLESSINGS aren’t just about having more stuff; they’re really about the ENJOYMENT of the stuff you have: He “gives us richly all things to ENJOY” (1Tim.6:17b). The ability to enjoy God’s gifts – spiritual, mental, social, marital, financial or material – is itself a blessing! Every Christian has promises and potential possessions in God, but the devil is vehemently opposed to our enjoying these promises to the fullest: “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (Jh.10:10).

Obadiah 17 says, ““But on Mount Zion there shall be, deliverance, and there shall be holiness; the house of Jacob shall possess their POSSESSIONS.” But nothing is practically possessed until it is personally enjoyed! God wants us to enjoy all of His pleasures. He is not a harsh and cruel task master who is against us enjoying the good things of life. It is not His will that we wallow in poverty, penury, lack, and want; or that we are left bound in afflictions, bondages, perpetual pressures, and unceasing pain.

God wants us to enjoy spiritual things: the joy of salvation; the marvels of meditation; the delight of devotion; the thrill of revelation; the ecstasy of living in the Spirit; the pleasure of answered prayers; the satisfaction in ushering a saved soul into His Kingdom; and the fulfilment of fellowship with the saints.

God wants us to enjoy emotional things: the serenity of a soul at rest in God; the harmony of heart and mind; and the “peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Phil.4:7). He wants us to enjoy the symphony of music, the excitement of poetry, and the aesthetics of the art.

God wants us to enjoy blissful homes: “My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest” (Isa.32:18 NIV). It is the devil’s agenda to devastate lives, and leave shattered hearts, crushed relationships, dead dreams, and broken homes. God is the Restorer of broken hearts and lives.

God wants us to enjoy material things: He “has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant” (Psa.35:27b). He “takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy” (Psa.147:11). What He hates is for us to become “lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God” – “pleasure-seekers” or passionate pursuers of worldly pleasures that are of no value to our souls (2Tim.3:4b).

The danger at the other extreme is the tendency to emphasize the abundance of ‘things’ above the abundance of God. LIFE is more than things: “a man's life does not consist in the abundance of the things which he possesses” (Lk.12:15b). Life is more than matter. To Believers in Christ, Paul emphasized: “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom.14:17). When we truly enjoy righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, all material ‘things’ will fade into insignificance! Ironically, it is only then that we truly begin to enjoy the temporal blessings that God bountifully bestows on all His.

While we must pursue the highest spiritual virtues of Bible meditation, praying and service, God wants us to be complete in the enjoyment of spirit, soul, and body. He also created us for fellowship, friendship, and for recreation. We were made to fully use the talents He bestowed, and participate in the pleasures He provides through legitimate channels. Even His design of the human body reveals that pleasure is part of His plan. Taste buds and other sensory organs attest to the divine accent to authentic pleasure. The colour of creation and the beauty of human diversity display the creative palette of the Greatest Pleasure Producer! God wants His creation to be enjoyed. Ultimately, to really enjoy life is to “be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share,” storing up treasure in heaven, while we thankfully enjoy His earthly provisions (1Tim.6:18-19).