Pleasure Seekers

Hedonism argues that pleasure has an ultimate importance and is the most important pursuit of humanity. According to hedonism, pleasure is all that matters. If we examine our lives today, most of us (if honest) would come to the conclusion that we live hedonistic lifestyles as we seek for ourselves the ultimate pleasures of this life. The problem with this lifestyle is simple… it is all like chasing after the wind. Solomon sought for himself every pleasure. He withheld nothing from his eyes and nothing from his heart. Laughter, hobbies, real estate, vacations, luxuries, entertainment, sex, wisdom, fame, and money… His conclusion? All vanity.

John Piper, who I greatly respect, read, and listen to often, classifies himself as a Christian hedonist as he seeks ultimate pleasure in the Creator alone. What is the difference here in his seeking and Solomon’s seeking?? Piper seeks pleasure in the lone pleasure Giver to ultimately exalt God for the giving of pleasure. Solomon sought stuff to fill voids in his life. Once we become completely satisfied in God alone, everything that is meant to bring pleasure: Nature, Art, Family, Friends, Sex, Community, Worship, etc. will actually start bringing satisfying pleasure because we understand and know the Giver and Supplier!! Our problem is that we are still seeking fulfillment in the pleasures instead of the Pleasure-Giver.

As I read through Kent Hughes’ “Set Apart: Calling a Worldly Church to a Godly Life” it is becoming more and more obvious that the church is seeking for itself pleasure. We want what we want, and that is clearest when it comes to worship. Bob Kauflin said, “The one thing that should be bringing unity in the church is the very thing that is dividing us. We should be unified in the exaltation of our Creator through song, yet we are too busy focusing on the style of exaltation instead of the One we are exalting.” Kent Hughes hit the nail on the head when he wrote, “Even worship is not exempt from hedonism as people go where worship is most pleasurable, imagining that the worship of God exists to make them feel good.” How many of us are guilty in thinking that worship is all about us “feeling good”?

My hope and prayer is that we can become unified. It’s not about contemporary or traditional, guitar or organ, hymn or praise song… It’s about exalting the One who desires our worship and who seeks our pleasure. We will find pleasure in worship when we find pleasure in Him alone.