Through the Bible God shows us how to best enjoy everything he created.
Created thing: sex
Boundaries: to be shared between one man and one woman for life, no sex before marriage and no sex outside of marriage
Penalties for stepping outside the boundaries: emotional scars, unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, etc.
Benefit of staying within the boundaries: all the pleasure with none of the pain
Created thing: alcohol
Boundaries: drink in moderation, don't get drunk
Penalties for stepping outside the boundaries: getting arrested, doing something you'll regret for the rest of your life, doing something you might have to pay for for the rest of your life (like a prison sentence), a D.U.I., loss of license, etc.
Benefit of staying within the boundaries: all the pleasure with none of the pain
Created thing: food
Boundaries: eat in moderation, don't be a glutton
Penalties for stepping outside the boundaries: obesity, heart disease, sluggishness, loss of self-confidence, heart attack, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, etc.
Benefit of staying within the boundaries: all the pleasure with none of the pain
I could go on with many more examples, but I think you get the point. So instead of viewing God's commands as restricting your fun, start believing the TRUTH - that God in fact is showing you how to maximize the pleasure and minimize the pain. God created us and He alone knows how we work best.
A fire within the proper boundaries (within a stove or fire pit) can provide warmth, cook a meal, roast a marshmallow or provide a variety of other useful and desirable benefits. But a fire outside the proper boundaries can produce untold destruction and devastation. Everything God has created has the same potential - it can bring joy and pleasure or pain and destruction. A Christian, by faith, accepts that since God created us, he knows best how we ought to live our lives. This leads to submission to God's boundaries in every area of our lives.
If you've been fighting God's boundaries in a certain area of your life (as I often do), why not pray today that God will help you embrace them, respect them, observe and obey them, and even praise God for them?
Created thing: sex
Boundaries: to be shared between one man and one woman for life, no sex before marriage and no sex outside of marriage
Penalties for stepping outside the boundaries: emotional scars, unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, etc.
Benefit of staying within the boundaries: all the pleasure with none of the pain
Created thing: alcohol
Boundaries: drink in moderation, don't get drunk
Penalties for stepping outside the boundaries: getting arrested, doing something you'll regret for the rest of your life, doing something you might have to pay for for the rest of your life (like a prison sentence), a D.U.I., loss of license, etc.
Benefit of staying within the boundaries: all the pleasure with none of the pain
Created thing: food
Boundaries: eat in moderation, don't be a glutton
Penalties for stepping outside the boundaries: obesity, heart disease, sluggishness, loss of self-confidence, heart attack, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, etc.
Benefit of staying within the boundaries: all the pleasure with none of the pain
I could go on with many more examples, but I think you get the point. So instead of viewing God's commands as restricting your fun, start believing the TRUTH - that God in fact is showing you how to maximize the pleasure and minimize the pain. God created us and He alone knows how we work best.
A fire within the proper boundaries (within a stove or fire pit) can provide warmth, cook a meal, roast a marshmallow or provide a variety of other useful and desirable benefits. But a fire outside the proper boundaries can produce untold destruction and devastation. Everything God has created has the same potential - it can bring joy and pleasure or pain and destruction. A Christian, by faith, accepts that since God created us, he knows best how we ought to live our lives. This leads to submission to God's boundaries in every area of our lives.
If you've been fighting God's boundaries in a certain area of your life (as I often do), why not pray today that God will help you embrace them, respect them, observe and obey them, and even praise God for them?
Very well said!
ReplyDelete