This philosophy is probably the prevailing ideology in Western culture today. We hear it when someone remarks, “We’ll as long as he’s happy and not hurting anyone, what does it matter what he does?” We see it in our arts and entertainment. And, like it or not, people of faith often act as if it’s our philosophy too.
Ours is not a culture that often denies short-term pleasure for long-term gain. The question for us is how much of our culture we’ll absorb.
“If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.’” (1 Corinthians 15:32)
The apostle Paul’s indictment against this philosophy, whether it’s full-fledged hedonism or simple shortsightedness, is based on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because as believers in Him we now know that life is eternal, seizing the day for immediate gain is folly. It exchanges eternal blessings for temporal satisfaction. It forfeits the truly meaningful for the truly mundane. It’s like trading away a Rembrandt for a drawing in the sand or forsaking a life in a mansion for a night in Vegas. It’s Dumb.
As followers of Jesus, we must frequently take an inventory of our lives. Are we living in light of eternity? Or are we offering up our most valuable resources for a momentary benefit? To know the difference, we must be sensitive to our motivations behind our actions.
Are our morals based on eternal considerations? Why do we spend our money the way we do? Is it for this life alone or for the eternal Kingdom of God? What about our time? Our energy? Our talents? Let’s get to know ourselves well, and rearrange our lives, if we must. Let’s seize God’s Kingdom. It lasts.
Have a blessed weekend. Make it better by worshiping The LORD with those who are aware of the moment in which we live and have determined that giving it all up to Him is worth it.
All For Jesus – Nothing More, Nothing Less, Nothing Else.
Vic Alvarado 