Faith, Beer, and Other Things That Interest Geoff

Christian Hedonism II: God Is a Very Important Person

There was an Everybody Loves Raymond episode where he forgot to acknowledge his wife when he was getting an award at graduation.

When a man forgets to mention his wife as the most important person in his life under God, there is a defect in his love. And when a Christian can talk and write for hours and days about what is important in the world without mentioning God, there is a defect in that person's love.

The healing of that defect, and the opposite of taking God for granted is an hour-by-hour reveling in God and savoring God and admiring God and loving God and treasuring God and standing in awe of God.

One discovery that, for me, has made all the difference in the world is that the reason God does not like being taken for granted is not only that it robs him of glory, but also that it robs me of joy. And perhaps the greatest discovery of all is that these two goals – God's goal to be glorified and my desire to be satisfied – are not at odds. Because God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in him.

So for me, and I pray for you, the truth that God is an important person and does not like to be taken for granted, has come to be not a threat but a declaration of the triumph of God's sovereign purpose to glorify himself and satisfy his people in God.