That is a question I have found myself pondering lately. After all, one is buried with Christ (Rom. 6:4). (It seems that not much would be left after such an event!) One is hidden in Christ (Col. 3:3). Jesus does not merely become the center of our lives; He is our Life. (All of it.)
So the question becomes: can there be anything else in our lives? Is it okay to enjoy something besides Jesus? To think about other (honorable) things besides Scripture?
Paul said, "I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need." (Phil. 4:12) Do we know how to be abased, possessing nothing but Christ? It is a lovely, heaven-born gift to desire nothing but Jesus, for the soul to see no beauty but in the Savior. Paul knew how to have nothing but Christ (Phil. 3:7-8).
Yet, Paul also knew how to abound. Being "full" is especially trying to the soul, but Paul knew how to abound even in circumstances of plenty. Can the creature enjoy the good gifts from the Creator while still holding foremost to the Giver of All Good Gifts (James 1:17)? Paul could.
The gifts only become dangerous when they are more important than the One Who gave them. A soldier knows the importance of laying aside every distraction (2 Tim. 2:4, Heb. 12:1-2). But God not only takes pleasure in His creation; He wants us to enjoy it, too! In Deuteronomy, when the Israelites brought their offerings to Jerusalem, they were commanded to “rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed thee” (Deut. 12:7). Furthermore, God says, “And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house” (Deut. 26:11a).
What about us? Should we disregard the Father's gifts to us, in the myriad of ways in which they come? Pastel sunsets. Classical poetry. Children’s laughter. Music that reverberates to the core of a person. Jokes. The company of others. Internet. Food. The gift of work. The gift of lazy mornings. Ballet. Pets. Vacations. Beautiful things. Silly things. Great art. A child's simple, bold-lined drawing. “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Cor. 10:30) Does it make any sense to do things to the glory of God but not take pleasure in them?
I began to notice a propensity within me to think that I should only say, ponder, or post things about Christ. But I am finding that God has made this world for us to enjoy, not apart from Him, but in Him. He is the Rock which undergirds a life given to Him. For a Christian, He is the lens through which each piece of this world is seen, pondered, spoken, written, and enjoyed.
What is the bottom line? Let us trust "in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy" (1 Tim. 6:17).
