Choking is a very powerful and disturbing metaphor. Imagine strong, angry hands wrapped around your neck.
With that in mind, listen to how Jesus describes a group of people in Luke 8:14. They hear God’s word, “but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.”
Let’s focus on the word “pleasure.”
We live in a time of many cultural dogmas. One is this: “If it feels good or makes you happy then you should do it, right?” Not necessarily.
There’s a group of people who want to amass pleasurable experiences—but they do so in a selfish way and to the neglect of greater concerns like loving others, growing in virtue, and self-sacrifice.
Chasing a certain kind of high day after day undermines who you are as a child of God and distracts you from what you are actually called to do.
Can you be a disciple and have pleasure in your life? Definitely! But pleasure-seeking isn’t the only thing to life—and it certainly isn’t the most important thing.
The mindless pursuit of pleasure can choke the life out of you—and sometimes, the eternal life out of you.
So trust God and walk in the loving and meaningful footsteps of Jesus. As a result, you can fill your life with a kind of joy that isn’t fleeting, but everlasting.
Notes:
–Today’s devotional is connected to my latest sermon (May 2, 2021) which is based on Luke 8:4-15 and is called “God’s dirt, word and work.” Click here to watch or listen.
–Bible quotes are from the NIV.
The Up Devotional 