Pleasure and Joy

We are wired for joy. Pleasure is a slice of joy, a thin slice. God
wired our bodies to experience pleasure so clearly pleasure can be a
God-thing. Indeed, Deuteronomy encourages people at times to have God-
centered celebrations with choice food and sweet drinks, pleasure
indeed.

Joy and pleasure are not the same. Joy is a bigger, wider
experience. Pleasure is one dimension of joy. Just one. Joy includes
pleasure but is not limited to it. Joy includes others, serving
others, giving to others, bringing them joy or pleasure, delighting
their hearts.

When we do not have joy we will go looking for it... and typically end
up looking shortsighted for pleasure instead, the quick feel. Joy is
not optional for life. You need joy and it is accessible all around
you for the Lord has woven it into life, into connection with Him and
others. May God give you some joy today.

Emotions and God

Why did God wire you with emotions? Are they bad? Everyone has had
moments when they wish they didn't feel certain feelings, didn't feel
so passionate about... Our emotions can get us into a mess even when
we wish we could ignore them.

But here's the key insight. God wired you for emotions so that you
could be an agent, a conduit of his presence and accomplish his
purpose. Emotions are a gift. Your passion is a gift because it
pushes you from within. You are not cursed but blessed if you feel
big feelings.

However, the final piece of that puzzle, of you being wired with
emotions is your dedication of your emotions to the Lord so that you
feel what He feels rather than having your own anger, your own
pursuits, etc.

Our emotions are conduits for God's purpose and God's presence
(Galatians 5). But if we are not fully given to Him what was wired
for good will become an agent for destruction as our anger and our
passion burns and burns those around us.

You are wired for life but to live that life you must be fully given
over to the Lord. Are you?

Destiny and Doing the Dishes

Some interesting conversations about destiny lately. The good side is
that people long to discover their purpose and destiny. But how?
Where?

What if we were looking at it all wrong? What if destiny wasn't a
place we need to show up to one day but a person we become along the
way? What if who we are would allow God then to move us from place to
place to play the part (destiny) in the moment and then move us to
another place?

Seems like we are looking for a moment that is big and obvious when in
reality our destiny is becoming (as Romans 8:28-19 makes clear).

Moses had no idea that he was living his destiny when he was just
raising kids and paying the bills on the back side of the desert! But
he was. God was shaping him in that moment for his family just as
much as for later. And later those days in the desert that seemed
like a waste would be significant as he led the people through that
very place.

Maybe you are just doing the dishes. Maybe you are paying the bills
and raising kids. But is it possible that in those moments God is
shaping you and that your destiny is who you are not where you are?
And then as you become God will move you into place after place to be
His person there. Keep doing the dishes, you never know what is at
stake.