All pleasures are not the same. One Bible teacher said that all types of pleasures fall into two categories: The one category, we pay after we receive pleasure and the other category, we pay before we receive pleasure.

Why? Because there is no pleasure without the pleasure us costing something!

The pleasure we get from sin falls into the category where we need to pay after we enjoy the pleasure.

The pleasure in sin is “the bait” which makes us all forget that there is a price to pay. Sometimes we pay cash for it but most of the time we pay with our lives.

When we drift away from God’s will, we receive pleasure quickly; immediately, right away. When we do, we don’t need to worry about the cost. It is like a credit card transaction. Shop everywhere, buy whatever you want and don’t worry about how much it costs. “You are covered; the cost is on us” as they say.

Then, they drop the bombshell on us when we’re least expecting it; immediately after we devour everything but just before we get a chance to say “I got it; I’m happy.”

Then, we will be held responsible to pay for it. And sinful pleasure usually doesn’t take Visa or MasterCard or American Express. It only takes our peace, joy, rest, sense of wellbeing, confidence, spiritual insight, patience, gentleness, and gladness. And if we continue drawing the pleasure from sin, it demands more, like our mental, physical and spiritual status and health.

It is not worth it!

The other pleasure is the one we receive from God, the one we pay before we taste any drop of pleasure. It comes in waiting. It comes in suffering. It comes in constant vigilance. This kind of pleasure always says, “Wait” before it lavishly falls down on us. It comes very late as it may seem to us but it will come on the right time. And when it comes, it lasts for a lifetime.

Oh, how I love the following Bible passage:

“Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” Psalm 62:5-8

It is God’s joy to see us being overwhelmed by pleasures of all sorts of things; pleasures which are legitimately ours but when we seek any pleasure outside God, He won’t be pleased with us. Do you know why? Because we, His children will get hurt when we seek pleasure apart from God!

Let’s trust Him to meet all our needs and desires because after all He is the One who created them all. Jesus is the Bread of Life (John 6) means He is the only Bread we need for us to be contented and fulfilled in this life. ///