In order to identify if there is a god of pleasure in your
life, these two diagnostic questions are helpful:
Where do you go first? Where do you go most?
To help illustrate, let's look at the life of David. David
was at his all time low. He pursued pleasure at all costs, and in the pursuit
of pleasure he committed adultery and then murder to cover up the adultery. He
thought he had gotten away with all of this without any consequences. But when
confronted by Nathan the prophet David felt great remorse for his action and
radically repented. He knew he was guilty and made aggressive changes in his
life and restarted pursing God. Look at his response:
"After Nathan had gone home, the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife
had borne to David, and he became ill. David pleaded with God for the child. He
fasted and went into his house and spent the nights lying on the ground. The
elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he
refused, and he would not eat any food with them.
On the seventh day the child died. David’s servants were
afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, 'While the child
was still living, we spoke to David but he would not listen to us. How can we
tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate.'
David noticed that his servants were whispering among
themselves and he realized the child was dead. 'Is the child dead? he asked. 'Yes,' they replied, 'he is dead.'
Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put
on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his
own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate. His servants
asked him, 'Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted
and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!'
He answered, 'While the child was still alive, I fasted and
wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The Lord
may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ But now that he is dead, why
should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not
return to me.'” 2 Samuel 12:15-23
When David faced disappointment, when David faced despair,
he went to God first and he went to God again. He could have sought comfort in
other pleasures, but he chose God. How about you? Where do you go first? Where
do you go most?
