In It For Me

Life is full of possibilities. Do I eat the cake (not the pieces, but the whole thing) because it is so very good, or do I just have a bite to enjoy because I know it is better for me not to eat cake (especially a whole one)? Possibilities. Should the young man pursue pleasure while he's young and not worry about tomorrow or should he learn self-discipline while he's young to have greater joy tomorrow? Possibilities. Trade offs. We can choose things. And why do we choose what we choose? Simple. We choose what we think will be best.

Now, mind you, "best" is a simplistic term. "Best" may be the immediate or the long term, the most-pleasant-now or the unpleasant-now-but-so-much-better-later. In the C.S. Lewis parable, it could be mudpies in the gutter now for amusement or a trip to the beach for amusement, where the kid chooses the former because he can't conceive of the latter. But the motivation is the same. We choose what we think will be best.

So today's society urges indulgence. Indulge your appetites. Indulge your pleasures. "If it feels good, do it." And, understanding that we do what we think is best, it isn't odd that our society would suggest that. I mean, it even seems to make sense. So ... why does it not?

As it turns out, Jesus came "that they may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). One of the commands in Scripture is "Rejoice always" (1 Thess 5:16). The Bible says that when we suffer we should "count it all joy" (James 1:2-4). Indeed, on the list of "fruit of the Spirit" you'll find "joy" in the number two position (Gal 5:22-23). God's intent for your life is genuine joy.

So why is it that "obedience" and "self-control" (another one on that list of fruit of the Spirit) are considered killjoys? Why, if "indulge your passions" is the ultimate good, did God countermand that over and over again? Well, I can only conclude that He did it for our best.

And there we are again ... "the best". If we do what we do because we think it's for the best, which would that be? Biblically it would be doing what God says. Biblically it would be obedience.

John wrote, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him" (John 3:36) Do you see that? "Believe" gets eternal life, but it is not "not believe" that leaves you in the wrath of God; it is "not obey." Because "believe" produces "obey". And if your trust is in God, clearly that is for the best.

But do you see the ultimate conclusion here? Obedience is for the best, yes, but what is God's aim? Well, it is to glorify Himself, of course, but what is His aim for you? It is joy, blessing, contentment. When we find our ultimate joy in Him, obedience isn't a chore; it's a pleasure. When we find that He fully satisfies beyond what our own pitiful attempts can achieve, it is best to pursue what He commands. If you're in it for yourself, you will be in it for Him first, and that will be best for you.

It's not that we seek to decrease satisfaction in life by subjecting ourselves to God. It is that the ultimate joy in life is found in submitting to Him. And even those of us who believe that concept have a hard time getting it through our heads sometimes.
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