Lesson 83: Worldly versus Godly Satisfaction
Worldly satisfactions compared to the joy we will share with God for eternity are fragile, temporary and shallow. When we come to faith in Christ and we are truly born again our lives will change so that we will hate sin and want to please God; our faith and the change that results may be as small as a mustard seed at first, but there needs to be at least a minor difference; if nothing changes then we need to question whether we are saved at all. God created the world for us to enjoy, and enjoying food, scenery, accomplishments, and possessions is good so long as we remember that all of it was created and is sustained by God, and we give Him praise and glory. When evil happens to innocent people, like child rape, neglect and abuse, we question God’s sovereignty and goodness to allow something to happen that He could have prevented. Over the course of one’s life God disciplines (here defined as shaping not punishing) using every experience to bring a person to a place where he is able to serve God in a special way. There are rape victims who have gone on to counsel other victims and win them to Christ. As we live out the daily routine of our lives, dealing with the priorities and duties throughout the day, we can stay grounded and close to God by referring to His promises in Scripture, such as “I am always with you” and, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”