Real pleasure comes from serving God

Sometimes sinning is just fun. Am I right? If it wasn't, it there wasn't something pleasing about it, why would we continue to do it? Of course, there's the whole sin nature thing, but we never do anything that we don't want to do. I read a devotional post with that title once and I realized that is pretty true, even when it comes to sin. Sin feels good sometimes. It appeals to our fleshly nature, a side of us that we still have, and that if we don't keep in check, we will get ourselves in trouble.

It may seem like fun at first, or it may seem like the best thing to do, or it may feel good. Lying to get out of trouble feels good, masturbating is fun, stealing seems like the best thing to do at the time, but how long do these seemingly good feelings actually stick around? And are they actually real pleasure?

No, they aren't real, and those feelings aren't going to stick around for very long. This week I got sucked into the pleasures of sin. But then I realized that what I thought was pleasure comes back to bite you, and turns out to be not so enjoyable at all. When you realize and experience the consequences of what you've done, when you realize that you have gone against the God who loves you and who fills your life with blessings each day, you feel pain and you feel guilt. Sometimes the consequences are that you hurt yourself or someone else, whether physically or emotionally, sometimes you get in trouble by the law, sometimes the consequence of sin is even death. None of this is worth the fleeting moment of pleasure that you might have had.

Real pleasure comes from serving and obeying God. It is only then do we find real joy, that we truly have fun, and that the good feelings last. If you are caught up in a sin because you are enjoying the moments of feeling "good" remember that's not what true good feelings are. That's not true joy, true pleasure, and it doesn't last long at all. Remember the consequences of your actions.

We need to look to God for joy, for pleasure, for our desires because only by doing His will can we truly find these things and that they will last. Going out into the community and bringing the love of God to others is an activity that I find extremely pleasing and joyful. It is something that makes me feel very good inside, and it is a good feeling that will not quickly fade into guilt and negative consequences. Living for God and serving Him brings great feelings that will last.

I needed that reminder. I hope this serves as a great reminder to one of you too.