🕊️ PRAY HERE Devotion 🕊️ A Life of Self-Indulgence

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:2, 4 KJV

“For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy…”

“Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.”

Devotion :

“Do what makes you happy.”

We’ve all heard it before.

And many people live by it.

It sounds like beautiful freedom.

Harmless, right?

Well…

EVERYTHING THAT MAKES YOU HAPPY ISN’T ALWAYS GOOD FOR YOU.

👀 Whewww! 😮‍💨

Eating whatever you want might make you happy; until years of unhealthy eating begins affecting your health.

Getting high may make somebody feel good for a few hours: while drugs are slowly destroying their health, relationships, finances, and future.

Sex outside of marriage may feel good in the moment; but pleasure can come with emotional attachments, broken relationships, pregnancy, disease, regret, and spiritual consequences.

Spending money whenever you want something can make you happy—until the bills come. 😂

PLEASURE CAN BE REAL AND STILL BE DESTRUCTIVE.

That’s why “If it makes me happy, I’m going to do it” is not enough wisdom to build a life on.

What we fail to realize sometimes is…

WE DON’T KNOW EVERYTHING.

I know you might have thought you did. 😂🤦🏽‍♀️

But we don’t!

This is why we have a GOD TO LEAD US.

This is why Jesus said the Father would send the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, who would teach us all things. (John 14:26)

This is why we’re instructed to seek God’s wisdom and counsel.

WE NEED HELP!

Just like a child needs good parents to teach them what they don’t know yet…

WE NEED GOD OUR FATHER. 🙌🏽🙏🏽

A child may want candy for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 😂

They don’t understand nutrition.

They understand:

“IT TASTES GOOD!”

A good parent understands something the child doesn’t.

So when the parent says NO, the child may think:

“You’re keeping me from something good!”

No.

I’M PROTECTING YOU FROM SOMETHING YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND YET.

WHEWWW! 🙌🏽🔥

Sometimes we’re the same way with God.

“Why can’t I do this?”

“Why does the Bible say that’s wrong?”

“But it makes me happy!”

And God knows where something leads before we get there.

He wants what’s best for us.

That’s why He doesn’t tell us to make pleasing ourselves the highest priority of our lives.

Because this flesh will tell you to do ANYTHING.

Let’s read what Paul says about a life centered around self.

In 2 Timothy 3, Paul warns that perilous times will come and describes people as:

“lovers of their own selves…”

Then in verse 4:

“LOVERS OF PLEASURES MORE THAN LOVERS OF GOD.”

My, my, my. 🥺

And when you read the surrounding verses, Paul gives a sobering picture: selfishness, greed, boasting, pride, ungratefulness, lack of self-control, brutality, betrayal, recklessness, and more.

We can see these attitudes around us every day.

But before we point at the worst things happening in the world…

LET’S BRING THIS HOME.

Because self-indulgence doesn’t always look shocking.

Sometimes it looks completely normal.

You talk harshly and recklessly to your spouse or family…

but you’re the NICEST PERSON EVER to everybody outside your house.

👀

Why?

Maybe speaking harshly makes you feel powerful.

In control.

Or maybe you can’t say what you really want to say to the boss, coworker, customer, or person who actually frustrated you…

so you bring that frustration home and unload it on people who love you.

YOU FEEL BETTER…BUT NOW THEY FEEL WORSE.

That’s self-centered living.

“I needed to get it off my chest.”

Okay…

BUT WHY DID SOMEBODY ELSE’S HEART HAVE TO BECOME YOUR DUMPING GROUND?

Whewww! 😮‍💨

Or maybe you constantly lie and embellish.

Every story has to be bigger.

Every accomplishment sounds more impressive.

You’ve been places you never went.

Bought things you never bought.

Know people you barely know. 😂

Why?

Because the attention feels good.

The admiration feels good.

Feeling important feels good.

But eventually you’re building relationships with people who don’t even know the real you.

Here’s another common one.

A person has a family depending on them financially, but every paycheck they buy whatever they want first.

New shoes.

New clothes.

Going out.

Whatever makes them happy.

Then rent is due.

The lights need paying.

The children need something.

And everybody else has to suffer because:

“IT’S MY MONEY. I WORKED FOR IT.”

Yes, you did.

But maturity asks:

“HOW WILL WHAT MAKES ME HAPPY AFFECT THE PEOPLE I’M RESPONSIBLE FOR?”

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

That’s the problem with making happiness our compass.

HAPPINESS ONLY TELLS YOU HOW SOMETHING FEELS RIGHT NOW.

Wisdom asks:

“WHERE IS THIS TAKING ME?”

There are people sitting in prison because something made them happy for a moment.

The thrill.

The money.

The retaliation.

The power.

The lifestyle.

And there are people who have died too soon after repeatedly choosing a temporary pleasure that was destroying them.

TEMPORARY PLEASURE CAN PRODUCE LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES.

That’s why self-control matters.

That’s why obedience matters.

That’s why we need God.

And please don’t misunderstand this devotion.

GOD IS NOT AGAINST YOU ENJOYING LIFE.

God created things for us to enjoy.

Pleasure itself isn’t automatically sinful.

The warning in 2 Timothy is about becoming “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.”

There’s the problem.

When pleasure says YES and God says NO…

WHO DO YOU LOVE ENOUGH TO OBEY?

👀

Whewwww! 😮‍💨🙏🏽

The flesh wants to please itself every day.

Say it.

Buy it.

Eat it.

Sleep with them.

Get even.

Take it.

Do whatever feels good.

But following Jesus requires something deeper than:

“WHAT WILL MAKE ME HAPPY?”

Sometimes the better question is:

“WHAT WILL PLEASE GOD?”

Because what pleases God will not always please my flesh.

And what pleases my flesh will not always produce the life God wants for me.

So maybe the saying shouldn’t be:

“Do what makes you happy.”

Maybe we should start saying:

“DO WHAT PLEASES GOD.”

🙌🏽🔥

Because He sees what you cannot see.

He knows what you don’t know.

He knows where the road ends before you start walking down it.

Stop allowing temporary pleasure to make permanent decisions for your life.

You don’t have to satisfy every desire.

You don’t have to obey every feeling.

You don’t have to give your flesh everything it asks for.

LOVE TO PLEASE THE LORD.

It’s a much better choice.

And tomorrow, we’re going to talk about what happens when pleasing GOD becomes the way you live.

God bless you! 🙏🏽💙

Reflect & Respond

Take an honest look at your life today.

Where have I been choosing what pleases ME without considering whether it pleases GOD?

Then ask:

Could what feels good today hurt me tomorrow?

Is my pleasure hurting somebody else?

Have I been calling something “freedom” that is actually controlling me?

And finally:

“WHEN WHAT I WANT CONFLICTS WITH WHAT GOD WANTS, WHO WINS?”

Don’t just answer with your mouth.

LOOK AT YOUR LIFE.

🙏🏽

Prayer :

Father God, forgive me for the times I’ve made pleasing myself more important than pleasing You. Help me control my flesh instead of allowing my flesh to control me. Give me wisdom to recognize what feels good but isn’t good for me. Holy Spirit, teach me, guide me, and help me choose God’s will over temporary pleasure. I want my life to please You.

In Jesus’ name, Amen. 🙏🏽💙

⸻

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