The Idol of Pleasure
In a world of self-help and manifestation mantras, it is hard to sell that the meaning of our lives is not self-fulfillment. We are regularly encouraged to pursue activities that go against God in the name of pleasure. Everything that we do and participate in should fall under the authority of God. Whenever we allow any person, place, thing, or thought to compete with the position of God in our life, we have made an idol of it. In American society, pleasure and convenience rank among the most dominating idols of our time. Pleasure has its place in our lives, but we must be careful to frame it properly.
The following devotional was taken from Idol: Pleasure by Oak Cliff Baptist Church.
Our God is a God of pleasure. He wants us to have fun and participate in entertaining activities that lighten our moods, help us laugh, and encourage us to spend time with our family and friends. Because of our relationship with Christ, which positions us under the authority of God. Our entertainment should meet God’s standards.
In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon explains his thoughts on pleasure. To his demise, Solomon made pleasure an idol from which he refused to deny himself. Pleasure becomes an idol when we seek to enjoy something in God’s creation without the participation of the Creator. From his numerous marriages and concubines to following other gods and eventually establishing worship sites for those gods, Solomon did what the Lord considered evil.
One of the biggest condemnations in scripture is that in the last days, men will be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God (2 Tim 3:4). Remember, God is not saying that we can’t have fun, but our fun needs to submit to His will. As Christians, we sometimes make allowances related to entertainment and pleasure that don’t align with God’s Word. We often justify and make excuses for what we want to indulge in rather than change our thinking. As he did in the Garden of Eden, Satan attempts to infiltrate our minds, make us indifferent to God’s Word, and separate us further from our heavenly Father. As we see with Adam and Eve, the enemy will always tell us about the fun but withhold information about the consequences of our behavior.
I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. “Laughter,” I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives. I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem[a] as well—the delights of a man’s heart. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.
I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 2: 1-11
Reflection Questions
Review your weekly calendar. How much time each week do you spend participating in activities for entertainment? How much time do you spend studying the word of God?
If you are committed to putting God first in your life, what changes can make in your daily schedule to spend more time with Him?
Some things that are sinful for one person is not sinful for another. Think of an idol in your life that brings you pleasure. Can you see how it is an idol for you but not for someone else? Why do you think this is the case?
Share the idol you mentioned in the question above. Describe to the group when and how this one pleasurable act became an idol in your life.